Squad deadlines for Champions League extended

The Champions League Twenty20 (CLT20) Governing Council has extended the deadline for the naming of initial team squads for the 8-23 October tournament.

The 12 competing teams will now have until next Monday, 24 August, to name their 20-player squads.

Following the submission of all squads, Airtel CLT20 will contact those players who are named in multiple squads, who will be given 24 hours to determine which team they wish to represent.

If a player chooses to play for his 'away' team rather than his 'home' team (the team from the country he is eligible to represent in international cricket), the 'home' team will be notified by Airtel CLT20 and given two working days to nominate a replacement player.

'Home' teams will also receive US$200,000 compensation for each of their players selected by 'away' teams.

Squads will then be cut to 15 players by Monday 7 September.

Lalit Modi, Chairman, Airtel Champions League Twenty20 Governing Council, said:

"In fairness to all teams, the Airtel CLT20 Governing Council decided to give all teams extra time to name their initial squads.

"With Somerset and Sussex only qualifying for the tournament last weekend, we felt it was important to give them and the other competing teams as much time as practical to finalise their playing lists for the tournament.

"Given the number of players who have qualified for multiple teams and the US$2.5 million first prize, the stakes are high for all teams."

Dean Kino, Airtel Champions League Twenty20 Governing Council Member and Director of Legal and Business Affairs, said:

"By Monday next week we will know which players who have been named in more than one squad for the Airtel Champions League Twenty20.

"Between now and Monday, we expect there will be a lot of discussion between players and teams regarding their participation in the tournament. Teams will need to be very deliberate with their selections because they will have to pay US$200,000 compensation for each 'away' player they select who has elected not to play for his 'home' team, regardless of whether they make the final cut of 15."

A number of players are eligible to play for multiple teams, including:

·Nathan Bracken (NSW Blues*, RC Bangalore)

·Brendon McCullum (Otago Volts*, NSW Blues)

·Dirk Nannes (Victorian Bushrangers*, Delhi Daredevils)

·David Warner (NSW Blues*, Delhi Daredevils)

·Cameron White (Victorian Bushrangers*, RC Bangalore)

·Andrew McDonald (Victorian Bushrangers*, Delhi Daredevils)

·Herchelle Gibbs (Cape Cobras*, Deccan Chargers)

·Farveez Maharoof (Wayamba*, Delhi Daredevils)

·Dwayne Smith (Deccan Chargers, Sussex Sharks)

* Designates 'home' team. Neither Deccan nor Sussex is Dwayne Smith's '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.

No person who has played in any unofficial cricket event can be named in a 2009 Airtel CLT20 squad either as a player or coach.