Cricket
Cricketers spoilt for choice
2009-08-18 14:25
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Decision time Herschelle Gibbs (File)
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Mumbai - With the imminent naming of the initial 20-player squads for the Airtel Champions League Twenty20 (CLT20), the CLT20 Governing Council on Tuesday clarified the rules relating to players who have qualified for multiple teams.
A number of players who are scheduled to compete in the Airtel CLT20 have qualified to compete for multiple teams and will face a tough decision as the final squad deadline looms.
Under CLT20 rules, provided a player qualifies for more than one team, all those qualifying teams can nominate that player.
If the player then decides to play for an "away" team rather than his "home" team (the team from the country he is eligible to represent in international cricket), the "away" team must pay $200 000 compensation to the "home" team.
"Away" teams are not eligible for compensation if a player chooses to play for his "home" team.
Members of each team's initial squad must have either played for, or must have been contracted to play for, his nominating team in the most recent qualifying Twenty20 competition played by that team.
For this year's event, no person who has played in any unofficial cricket event can be named in a 2009 CLT20 squad either as a player or coach.
However teams are not disqualified from the 2009 CLT20 if they played rebel players in their qualifying tournament, provided they terminated their rebel contracts before 31 May 2009.
Dean Kino, Champions League Twenty20 Governing Council Member and Director of Legal and Business Affairs, said: "These qualification rules ensure that players will have a choice, subject to existing contracts, of who they represent in the Airtel CLT20. The $200 000 compensation paid to "home" teams will create significant interest in the lead-up to the squad announcements.
"Once a team names its initial squad, CLT20 will assess which players have been listed for two or more teams. Players who have been nominated by multiple teams will then be contacted by CLT20 to nominate their chosen team.
"Players will then be given 24 hours to determine which team they wish to represent."
Lalit Modi, Chairperson, Champions League Twenty20 Governing Council, said: "The ability of players to qualify for multiple teams adds another
revolutionary element to the Airtel Champions Twenty20 League. A number
of players will face a tough decision over the coming days as to which
team they will represent in the inaugural tournament in October.
"In addition to the $6m in prize money, each team is guaranteed a $500 000 participation fee. This means that even those teams who finish in ninth to 12th place at the Airtel CLT20 will earn $600 000, while the winners will receive more than $3m."