The PCB has said that they are not happy with the way the BCCI has not invited them over for the Champions League T20, a clear turnaround from what they had said earlier. The OCB Ejaz Butt had blown hot and cold and announced that his players will not take part in the Champions League even if they were to be invited over. Now, Butt has said that he did not say anything of that sort and was misquoted by the media!
Butt said that the comments of his were related to the IPL and their participation in the IPL. They had nothing to be with the Champions League. He added, “I did not say that our domestic teams would not go to the Champions League. Why would I deprive them of that opportunity? My comments were misinterpreted.”
The Champions League T20 is a club-based competition where all the top clubs in the world come around and play in the tournament. It was first played in 2009 in India and will now be played in South Africa this September. Last season, there were 12 teams involved, but this time around there will only be 10 with the exclusion of the English counties as well. Pakistan were to send one team to the competition, the Sialkot Stallions in 2008, but the Mumbai terror attacks had cancelled that tournament.
Butt said, “Nobody has invited us this year and that is disappointing. We asked them about it and we received no reply at all. We will take up this issue with the ICC. After all, why are we being discriminated against like this? Clubs from so many other countries are invited and our Sialkot side has done so well over the last few years.”
The Champions League committee was forthright about their role – the PCB had communicated that they did not want to participate in the tournament and hence, they were not considered. He also added that it was difficult to add new teams at such a late stage of the tournament.
New South Wales are the defending champions of the tournament, but will not be participating in this edition’s tournament.
