Twenty20 Champions League delayed

Middlesex will contest the inaugural Twenty20 Champions League in early December, the Board of Control for Cricket in India, Cricket Australia and Cricket South Africa have announced.

The tournament was initially due to begin on September 29 - the day after the Champions Trophy final - but will now run from December 3-10 inclusive.

The International Cricket Council, the world governing body, requested the Champions League not start immediately after the conclusion of the Champions Trophy in Pakistan.

The venues for the eight-team Twenty20 competition, which Middlesex qualified for by winning the Twenty20 Cup in July, will be confirmed in the coming weeks.

A statement from the organisers read: “While the Champions League Twenty20 is a domestic tournament not affected by ICC event rules, we have agreed to the ICC request as a gesture of goodwill.”

The new dates coincide with England’s tour of India, but fall between the end of the seventh and final one-day international on December 2 and the start of the first Test on December 11.

Cricket Australia, meanwhile, have put back the start of the first Test against South Africa by five days to December 17.

Middlesex Crusaders secured their place in the Champions League by winning the Twenty20 Cup

Lalit Modi, chairman and commissioner of the Indian Premier League and vice-president of the BCCI, said: “We are happy that we were able to find a window during the first week of December for the inaugural edition of the Champions League Twenty20.

“There was a gap in between the one-day internationals and Tests against the touring England squad and that will enable both the Rajasthan Royals and the Chennai Super Kings to regroup and focus on the inaugural edition of the Champions League Twenty20.”

CA chief executive officer James Sutherland said the Western Australian Cricket Association, due to host the first Test against the Proteas in Perth, had been happy to co-operate with the change of dates.

In a joint statement with CSA chief executive officer Gerald Majola, he said: “We were pleased with the WACA reaction that the new playing dates offer local fans, including corporate groups wanting to entertain at the cricket, good dates for pre-Christmas Test match enjoyment, and we also took feedback from players that the changes could be accommodated without compromising what will be a de facto World Test Cricket Championship bout between Australia and South Africa during December and January.

“The changes can be made without compromising cricket’s premium format and allow the significant benefits which the new Champions League Twenty20 will offer grassroots cricket to be delivered.”

The Champions League Twenty20 will be contested between the winners and runners-up from the domestic Twenty20 competitions in India (Rajasthan and Chennai), Australia (Victoria and Western Australia) and South Africa (Titans and Dolphins), as well as the reigning champions from Pakistan, Sialkot, and England, Middlesex, with US$6million on offer.

The eight teams will be divided into two groups of four teams each with the top two teams from each group qualifying for the semi-finals.