Champions League T20 in Sept

Nottingham, June 7; The winners and runners-up in England’s Twenty20 competition will join their equivalents from Australia, India and South Africa in a lucrative new tournament later this year.

A statement issued by the England and Wales Cricket Board on Saturday said the inaugural Champions League would involve eight teams playing 15 matches in a 10-day period in late September and early October in either the Middle East or India.

The ECB statement said the tournament would be worth $5 million to the winner, adding there would be "significant sums for the teams finishing second, third and fourth".

Talks were held last week involving ECB chairman Giles Clarke and chief executive David Collier, Cricket Australia’s chairman Creagh O’Connor and chief executive James Sutherland.

The plans were finalised on Friday following discussions between Clarke, BCCI representative Lalit Modi and Cricket South Africa president Norman Arendse.

The winners and runners-up in the final of England’s Twenty20 event at Hampshire’s Rose Bowl ground on July 20 will join Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings from India, South Africa’s Titans and KwaZulu Natal Dolphins and Western Australia and Victoria from Australia in the Champions League.

"The ECB Twenty20 Cup will be even more fiercely contested this season in the knowledge that the two teams who reach the final will qualify for the Champions League and the chance to win $five million," the ECB said in a statement.

—AFP