THE TEAMS participating in the recently concluded Champions League, though not national sides reflect a lot on the way the game is played in their nations. The Australians (read New South Wales) won the inaugural tournament and outplayed Trinidad & Tobago in the crunch game.
South Africa was aptly represented by the Cape Cobras, who despite being very good, ‘choked’ in the semi-final. The county sides from England lacked teeth, more of a reflection on the England’s international performance in the shorter versions of the game. The Indian sides did not capitalize on the home advantage and failed to even make it to the semi-finals.
This article is about the way the game is played, it is not the technique of batting or bowling that matters, it is the temperament, style and the approach towards the game. Let us look at the countries first. South Africa and New Zealand are two teams with exceptional fielding ability, above average individuals and great teamwork. It is said that in South Africa, a young cricketer is first taught the basics of fielding and he then moves on to learn batting or bowling. No wonder some of the best fielders come from the rainbow nation.
New Zealand is a team known to make up for their average lineups or team injuries by intelligent tactics, fielding abilities and simply good game sense. The teams from the Caribbean have their own style of playing - cool, hard-hitting but their unpredictable and hard to read expressions always make them a threat and so they were. The Australians play their cricket in a style of their own but they stick to it. They understand that their best cricket comes out when they sledge and admit it openly; prime examples, Shane Warne encouraging his team to sledge during their recent Ashes defeat or Mitchell Johnson sledging to get back in form. Though, probably not the cleanest way to play a sport but they play tough and have their basics in place. They always play the crucial games and the big moments well having already been tried, tested and well groomed in their domestic arena.
Big matches call for big players and Australians have always risen to the occasion. Shane Watson in the business end of Champions Trophy, Adam Gilchrist in WC 2007 final, Ponting and Co. in 2003 WC final are some examples.
Read More >> Airtel T20 Champions League, Champions League T20 Latest Updates
COME SECOND week of September, 2010 and all the cricket crazy fans and people of South Africa will once again witness one of the most awaited championships, ICC Champions League 2010. The championship will begin on September 10th has Sachin Tendulkar led Mumbai Indians opening against Alviro Petersen led Highveld Lions at Wanderers, Johannesburg.
The 10 teams which have been chosen to play in this tournament will be divided in two groups of 5 each for which they will have to battle it out to reach the finals. Wanderer stadium, one of the best cricket stadiums in the world will also hold the final match. Apart from Wanderers, Durban and Centurion are slated to hold the semi finals on 24th and 25th respectively. Wanderers will hold the finals on 26th September.
The 2010 IPL Champions Chennai Super Kings have been slotted in Group A along with the champions from Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Sri Lanka. In Group B, our very own, Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore will fight it out along with Redback's from South Australia and West Indies, whose representative will be declared in late July.
Prior to the match, BCCI President and Airtel CLT20 Chairman, Shashank Manohar said, “ With 100 international stars qualified to participate through one or more of their Twenty20 teams, fans will be treated to daily battle between the world's best cricketers”.
Incidentally, two or more players have qualified for two or more teams. Some of the players include, Jacques Kallis (Warriors and Royal Challengers Bangalore), Mark Boucher (Warriors and Royal Challengers Bangalore), Makhaya Ntini (Warriors and Chennai Super Kings), Kieron Pollard (South Australian Redbacks and Mumbai Indian), Dwayne Bravo (Victorian Bushrangers and Mumbai Indian) and Cameron White (Victorian Bushrangers and Royal Challengers Bangalore).
Ross Taylor of New Zealand became the first man in the history of CLT20 for having being selected in three teams, Central Stags, Victorian Bushrangers and Royal Challengers Bangalore.
| DATE | TEAM 1 | | TEAM 2 | VENUE | TIME |
| Fri 10 Sep | Mumbai Indians | v | Highveld Lions | Johannesburg | 1730 |
| Sat 11 Sep | Warriors | v | Wayamba Elevens | Port Elizabeth | 1330 |
| Chennai Super Kings | v | Central Stags | Durban | 1730 | |
| Sun 12 Sep | Highveld Lions | v | South Australian Redbacks | Centurion | 1330 |
| Royal Challengers Bangalore | v | TBC | Centurion | 1730 | |
| Mon 13 Sep | Warriors | v | Victorian Bushrangers | Port Elizabeth | 1730 |
| Tue 14 Sep | Mumbai Indians | v | South Australian Redbacks | Durban | 1730 |
| Wed 15 Sep | Victorian Bushrangers | v | Central Stags | Centurion | 1330 |
| Chennai Super Kings | v | Wayamba Elevens | Centurion | 1730 | |
| Thu 16 Sep | Mumbai Indians | v | TBC | Durban | 1730 |
| Fri 17 Sep | South Australian Redbacks | v | Royal Challengers Bangalore | Durban | 1730 |
| Sat 18 Sep | Warriors | v | Central Stags | Port Elizabeth | 1330 |
| Chennai Super Kings | v | Victorian Bushrangers | Port Elizabeth | 1730 | |
| Sun 19 Sep | Highveld Lions | v | TBC | Johannesburg | 1330 |
| Mumbai Indians | v | Royal Challengers Bangalore | Durban | 1730 | |
| Mon 20 Sep | Victorian Bushrangers | v | Wayamba Elevens | Centurion | 1730 |
| Tue 21 Sep | South Australian Redbacks | v | TBC | Johannesburg | 1330 |
| Highveld Lions | v | Royal Challengers Bangalore | Johannesburg | 1730 | |
| Wed 22 Sep | Wayamba Elevens | v | Central Stags | Port Elizabeth | 1330 |
| Chennai Super Kings | v | Warriors | Port Elizabeth | 1730 | |
| Thu 23 Sep | No matches | | | ||
| Fri 24 Sep | Semi Final 1 1st Group A v 2nd Group B | Durban | 1730 | ||
| Sat 25 Sep | Semi Final 2 1st Group B v 2nd Group A | Centurion | 1730 | ||
| Sun 26 Sep | Airtel CLT20 Final (Winner Semi Final 1 v Winner Semi Final 2) | Johannesburg | 1730 | ||
| Note: All times listed are South African Standard Time (SAST) | |||||
Read More >> Airtel T20 Champions League schedule
This year, Trinidad and Tobago will face Jamaica, Leeward Islands, Guyana, Windward Islands, Barbados and Combined Campuses and Colleges and an international team from Canada much with the support of their Caribbean fan following to secure a place at the T20 Champions League in South Africa. The teams facing the favourites will have to go through a Herculean task as team Trinidad and Tobago has already proved their mettle by clinching Stanford T20 to qualify for the Champions League in the last season.
Meanwhile, English all rounder and Lancastrian, Andrew Flintoff is set to make a comeback to Chennai Super Kings following their victory in the last season win in the IPL T20 Championship which was held in India. Flintoff who had a brief stint with the Super Kings will re-join the team since he was sidelined because of a knee surgery that kept him away. Before Super Kings, Flintoff has prior commitments with county Lancashire for whom he will play in the coming two weeks. However, Kevin Pietersen and Eoin Morgan will not participate in the upcoming Airtel Champions League Twenty20 for Royal Challengers Bangalore, one of the participants, because of team England's commitments.
Read More >> Champions League Twenty20 News, Champions League Twenty20 Points Table
