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Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Stephen Fleming have made themselves available for the Indian Premier League (IPL), an officially-sanctioned domestic Twenty20 competition to be held in India in April 2008.”Warne, McGrath and Fleming have signed contracts to play in the IPL,” Lalit Modi, the BCCI vice-president, told . “The trio will be a part of our centralised pool of players and available for signing by the franchises.”The said Warne had accepted the IPL’s offer of “significantly less” than the US$700,000 a season that the Indian Cricket League (ICL) was reportedly prepared to pay him. The ICL pursued Warne for more than four months but he was reluctant to commit as that group was not approved by the ICC.The IPL is modelled on the system of franchises used by the American NFL and NBA. Each franchise will pay a fee to the BCCI, which will give it access to shared revenues and the right to exploit exclusive revenue. There will also be a draft, similar to the one used in the US, which will allow the buying and selling of players.McGrath and Fleming were present at the launch of the Champions League – the proposed international tournament featuring top teams from four countries – in New Delhi on September 13. According to the report, Fleming, who was on the verge of signing with the ICL, made himself available to the IPL for a lower fee. McGrath, who retired from all forms of cricket at the end of the World Cup, had said he was tempted by the ICL offer but now he could be playing for an Indian domestic team by April next year.The ICL, backed by the Essel group in India, is also a Twenty20 league – though not recognised by the ICC or any of the national boards – that has signed at least seven international players including Brian Lara, Mohammad Yousuf and Inzamam-ul-Haq, as well as more than 50 Indian domestic players. In its first year the ICL will feature six teams with two Indian internationals, four overseas players and eight juniors in each side. They play their first tournament next month.The newspaper reported that Warne would play for Hampshire until the end of the English season and then go to India and join one of the IPL teams. If his team qualified for the league final he would play in the Champions League, where he could possibly be traded to the highest bidder.

Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium provides one of the more festive cricket-watching experiences in Pakistan. With a capacity of 19,000 – packed even during bore run-fests such as the India-Pakistan 2006 Test – it is no heaving amphitheatre of sport, but its openness provides a delightful personal interaction with the contest.If you sit right, you can ask a fast bowler at the top of his run what he’ll bowl next; as a spectator you are expected to double as a fielder anywhere around the ground. The amusement park within the complex helps with the merriment. If the swing is timed right, the pirate ship should allow a decent if intermittent view of the game. Next door is an auditorium named after one of Faisalabad’s most famous product, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan; a stadium named after a poet and an auditorium next to it named after a means the venue must be one of the more artistically-inclined around the world.What happens on the field tomorrow, between South Africa and Pakistan, should add to the festivities. If we ignore last year’s ODI against West Indies (when Pakistan lost eight wickets chasing 152), the pitch is traditionally partial to runs. Mickey Arthur, South Africa’s coach, didn’t see anything in the 22-yard pale brown strip contrary to that belief. Add small boundaries and big hitters to the mix and a typically modern, run-heavy ODI awaits.”It looks like a very good deck. Much fresher than the last wicket we played on and we’re quite happy about that,” said Arthur. Criticising a pitch that produced over 500 runs and a century is a peculiarly contemporary condition but middle-overs spin, on a used surface, stumped South Africa as much as six wickets between two fast bowlers.But that has been South Africa’s only aberration through a commanding tour. And despite the loss, there remain few real concerns with morale or personnel. “We played really well through the tour and we had a little stutter at Lahore,” said Arthur. “We’ve set ourselves extremely high goals through this competition. We’ve set our team high standards and we need to maintain those standards. Lifting the boys after that loss will be no issue.”Arthur admitted, at a push, that only one position is under scrutiny, without revealing further, but also added, “we’ll probably given them a chance again.” Such is the mood that not even poor returns from Jacques Kallis and Justin Kemp (1 and 8 in the two ODIs) is a worry just yet. “I don’t foresee too many changes. We want to be pretty consistent. Our top order has been good. We didn’t get the start we wanted in Lahore. Everybody has performed their roles to their abilities.

“We’ve asked Kemp to bat at 5. It’s a role he knows and he can fulfill. He is wasted down the order as he gives us major impetus if he bats a long time. He’s done really well for us of late and we’re going to give him every opportunity to cement that position.”Despite levelling the series, a few issues remain to be resolved for Pakistan. From the top, Yasir Hameed is likely to replace Imran Nazir as a partner for Kamran Akmal, the third different combination in three matches. A more deserving change is hard to imagine: 41, 57, 71, 41, 10, 50 and 22 are Hameed’s last seven ODI innings (at number three admittedly) for Pakistan and yet, bewilderingly, the appearances are stretched out over 30 months.If picked, however, an opportunity presents itself for Pakistan are thinking long-term. “We have made so many changes because we have an important tour to India coming up,” said Shoaib Malik. “We are trying to find the right combination before then.”Apart from probably being without Mohammad Asif (he is to undergo a late fitness test), which is a sizeable headache, Pakistan’s other problem far predates the opening worry. As a unit, their ground fielding has been noticeably sharper but they dropped five catches in their win on Saturday.”Straight after we got here yesterday, we came and worked on our fielding,” Malik said. As well they should for winning games after fluffing that many chances happens about as often as a fair and free election in Pakistan.The series is now primed to tilt one or the other way; a win here could well be decisive with only two to play after it. “This is a vital match,” Malik acknowledged. “Whichever team wins it will take a definite edge for the remainder of the series.”Teams:
Pakistan (probable) Yasir Hameed, Kamran Akmal (wk), Younis Khan,Mohammad Yousuf, Shoaib Malik (capt), Misbah-ul-Haq, Shahid Afridi, Sohail Tanvir, Abdur Rehman, Rao Iftikhar Anjum, Umar Gul.South Africa (probable) Herschelle Gibbs, Graeme Smith (capt), Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, Justin Kemp, Mark Boucher (wk), Shaun Pollock, Albie Morkel, Johan Botha, Makhaya Ntini, Charl Langeveldt.

It was another predictable day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where West Indies played out its final preparatory match before next week’s first Test against Australia.As the tourists completed their third sub-200 total from four first-class innings played on this tour so far, a spectator fanned a banner pleading “Bring back Viv”. But the great Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards was nowhere in sight. And just as last week was Western Australia’s opportunity to upstage these once-feared tourists, so this week became Victoria’s chance to annihilate them.The result for the Windies: a seven-wicket loss in Perth, followed by today’s innings and sixty-three run drubbing inside three days by the bottom-ranked Australian domestic side. And both coach Roger Harper and captain Jimmy Adams are at a loss for explanations.”I have no explanation. It has been a disappointing performance to put it mildly. I’m not one to get angry but I’m very very disappointed,” said Harper.”It is very very frustrating because I know we are capable of a lot better cricket than we have displayed here and as we displayed in Western Australia. But it’s difficult to put an exact finger on it as to what will bring out the consistency we’re still striving for. Physically, I have no doubt that we’re working a lot harder, a lot better in terms of preparation. We’re still trying to get the precise, definite answer,” he said.Asked about what went wrong with the team’s batting – they were bowled out for 167 in the first innings and 114 in the second – Adams was direct.”I won’t take very long to describe, it’s just not good enough,” he said. “The bottom line is that we’re just not batting as well as we should be batting. We’re just not doing the basic consistent things. It’s just not happening.”For Victorian captain Darren Berry on the other hand, the match couldn’t have gone better. His bowlers began well in the first innings under overcast conditions on a helpful pitch, his batsmen continued the good work by amassing 7/344, and the Bushrangers finally tasted their opening first-class victory of the season. To top it all off, Berry himself claimed his four hundredth first-class catch today.”I think everything went right for Victoria. I think the toss was the start because it was a difficult wicket to bat on. I thought our bowlers bowled well and it was a good team effort. I don’t think it’s my position to comment on how the West Indies played, I’m more concerned about how Victoria played and I was extremely happy with our performance,” he said.The stars for Victoria were twenty-year-old paceman Mathew Inness (9/73 for the match, including career best figures of 6/26 in the first innings) and twenty-five year-old batsman Brad Hodge (134*), who was forced to retire hurt overnight after a Courtney Walsh delivery left his thumb severely bruised.There were other positives too. The patient batting of Jason Arnberger (99) in the first innings. The bowling of first-class debutant Ben Oliver (2/13 off six overs in the second innings, including the crucial wicket of Brian Lara). The successful return from injury of Damien Fleming (2/27 off tenovers today). And of course, the clever bowling of Test spinner Colin Miller (3/26 off 15.3 overs).After losses in the opening two Pura Cup matches, Berry believes today’s win will give the Victorians the confidence and inspiration they need for the next round of domestic matches.For the West Indians, the result simply exacerbates their woeful start to this Australian tour. With the first Test just four days away, the search is on for that elusive answer to their problems.Adams thinks the answer lies within. “I don’t think it’s so much a technical problem. I think what we have to do is to do whatever we can amongst ourselves to reinforce to the team that the players here are good players, quality players. I think they’re players that have done enough often enough, and ones who you figure will always carry that self belief. There might be a few younger players where it’s up to the rest of us to keep reinforcing that ‘You are good enough and you’re here because you’re goodenough’.”Adams says the most important thing is for the team to come together to solve the problems. “I think everybody has a role to play. I think even players who are struggling and might be young players, they still have a role to play. It’s not going to happen because one man stands up, it’s going to happen because the whole team comes together. And as well, you can’t get away from the fact that it is going to require discipline.”At the same time, coach Harper says the team still has time to realise its potential. “I still think we have it in us to play good cricket and precisely because of our unpredictability, it’s possible for us to getthrown out there and string it together. And hopefully we can achieve it come the Test match,” he said.

Wes Agar, the brother of Australian spinner Ashton Agar, and Clinton Hinchliffe were named in Australia’s 21-member squad for the upcoming Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh.Wes, a fast bowler, generated good pace and impressed in the Under-19 Championships, taking ten wickets in eight matches, including a five-wicket haul at an average of 22.60. Fellow South Australian Michael Cormack, who topped the wicket charts with 21 scalps at 16.57 was also included.Hinchliffe was the leading run-getter in the Under-19 Championships with 446 runs to add to 10 wickets, and eventually reaped the Player-of-the-Series award. Tom O’Donnell, the son of former Australian all-rounder Simon O’Donnell, and Sam Elliott, the son of former Test batsman Matthew Elliot, also found a place in the squad.Also named was Newcastle’s Jason Sangha, the only cricketer to advance to the Under-19 National Championships from the School Sports Australia Under-15 Championships.Cricket Australia’s National Talent Manager Greg Chappell believed that the squad had all bases covered in addition to plenty of leadership options.”The squad the National Youth Selection Panel has picked is one we believe could win the World Cup,” Chappell said.”There is a vast array of all-round talent here that can post big scores and restrict opposition teams with the ball and in the field; there is also plenty of leadership within the group.”The squad will be trimmed to 15 on December 28 as per ICC regulations. Australia, who are placed in Group A alongside India, Nepal, and New Zealand, begin their campaign against India on January 28 in Mirpur.Squad: Wes Agar, Michael Cormack, Kyle Gardiner, Jordan Gauci, Brooke Guest, David Grant, Sam Grimwade, Sam Harper, Liam Hatcher, Clint Hinchliffe, Henry Hunt, Caleb Jewell, Jonathan Merlo, Arjun Nair, Tom O’Donnell, Jonte Pattinson, Patrick Page Jnr, Jhye Richardson, Jason Sangha, Ben Taylor, Henry Thornton.

In a tour that hasn’t gone to plan after a sparkling start, West Indies travel to a ground on which they posted both their wins on the tour so far against a formidable South African line-up.West Indies upset the hosts at St George’s Park in both the first Twenty20 international and the first Test, but have lost their way since. A loss in Sunday’s ODI would see them surrender the series, but the visitors are not the only team with a few worries.South Africa have done poorly in Port Elizabeth of late – their last win came in an ODI against India in November 2006 – and coach Mickey Arthur said the team were eager to perform.”I’m not a 100% sure why we haven’t played to the best of our abilities there, but all I do know is the team will be keen to put on a very good performance, because we’ve let Port Elizabeth down of late,” Arthur told the . South Africa, though, would take confidence from the convincing win in Cape Town, where West Indies never looked in the hunt while chasing 256.Herschelle Gibbs and Jacques Kallis failed in Cape Town, and it was the left-handed batsmen Graeme Smith and JP Duminy who did the bulk of the scoring. South Africa, however, were unable to pick up the momentum towards the close of their innings – perhaps falling 15-20 runs short – but it didn’t have a bearing on the final result.Arthur indicated there wouldn’t be many changes, given the series is still alive. The bowlers never looked in trouble against a brittle West Indian line-up. Shaun Pollock, playing his farewell ODI series, had impeccable figures of 10-5-13-2, while Morne Morkel’s career-best figures of 4 for 36 suggested he’d recovered fully from the injury that had ruled him out since South Africa’s tour to Pakistan last year.”Before we start looking to juggle the side too much, we want to try and get the series out of the way first, and then look to give our other squad guys an opportunity,” Arthur said. “We have quite a few niggles in the squad and we need to manage those. But I don’t foresee too many changes.”For West Indies, it’s the batting that’s the main concern. Shivnarine Chanderpaul was expected to play at No. 3 in Cape Town in order to provide much-needed momentum at the top, but a bruised knee meant he came in at No. 5 and batted with a runner. Chanderpaul’s 54 was the only significant resistance to South Africa’s attack and if he can’t take the field on Sunday, it would be another headache for West Indies, who are already missing the batting skills of Chris Gayle.Jerome Taylor and Fidel Edwards made a promising start in Cape Town. Taylor nipped out both Gibbs and Kallis, but his four-wicket haul was not backed up by his team-mates. Stand-in captain Dwayne Bravo, who bowled despite a side strain in the first ODI, might again have to send down a few overs himself. Bravo would also like to change his luck at the toss; he’s called it wrong the last three occasions, perhaps a right one could help bring about the right result.Teams (probable)
South Africa
Graeme Smith (capt), Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Mark Boucher (wk), Shaun Pollock, Johan Botha, Charl Langeveldt, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel.West Indies
Brenton Parchment, Sewnarine Chattergoon, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Runako Morton, Marlon Samuels, Dwayne Bravo (capt), Denesh Ramdin (wk), Darren Sammy, Daren Powell, Fidel Edwards, Jerome Taylor.

Matthew Fleming, the former Kent and England allrounder, will travel to Afghanistan this week to try to identify ways in which Marylebone Cricket Club can help to further develop the sport in the region.Fleming, who sits on the main MCC Committee, is being sent by the club to investigate how MCC can strengthen its links with cricket in Afghanistan in accordance with its worldwide remit to help promote the game.The MCC-Afghanistan relationship began with an historic fixture between the two sides in Mumbai in March 2006, where an MCC team led by former England captain, Mike Gatting, were thrashed by 179 runs. Two members of that successful Afghan team – Hamid Hassan and Mohammad Nabi – subsequently spent time at Lord’s as MCC Young Cricketers. In 2007, Hassan – a fast bowler – made history when he became the first Afghan cricketer to play at Lord’s, for MCC against Europe.Speaking ahead of his trip, Fleming said: “Having enjoyed playing cricket for England in Pakistan and Bangladesh, I know the passion that exists for cricket in the region. I’m looking forward to seeing for myself how cricket in Afghanistan is developing, and how MCC can help with this process.”With my experience in the Armed Forces [he served as an officer in the Royal Green Jackets], I am all too aware of the effects a conflict has on a country’s people. If the sport can help to become a positive, motivating factor for the increasingly cricket-loving population of Afghanistan, that can only be a good thing.”MCC’s secretary & chief executive, Keith Bradshaw, said: “Developing cricket worldwide is a core remit of MCC, and it’s one we take very seriously. Matthew is the perfect ambassador for us to send out to Afghanistan. With his knowledge of the region, and of course his cricketing experience, he’ll be able to investigate the ways in which the club can demonstrably help to develop cricket in the country.”Fleming’s visit to Afghanistan has been co-ordinated by Nick Lockwood, Counter Narcotics and Rule of Law, at the British Embassy in Kabul. The four-day trip will culminate on Sunday, November 18, with a visit to the National Training Camp at the Afghanistan National Cricket Academy.The sport’s popularity in Afghanistan has surged since many of the refugees who fled from the country in the early 1980s, after the Soviet invasion, started to return from Pakistan – where they saw the game and started to play and follow it.

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If the opening semi was a forthright one-sided affair, this one was a steamily unpredictable battle of heart and soul, with a steely Kent finally emerging triumphant over Sussex in the last over. Kent will now meet Gloucestershire in what promises to be a tight battle, after the fielding of both finalists had a massive part to play in their success.A polished Kent stifled Sussex’s early charge to dismiss them for 140 but despite another dominant opening stand of 65 between Joe Denly and Rob Key, some smart Sussex bowling threatened to upset the cart. Key’s huge hits, though, were the other decider as he posted an unbeaten 68 to lead from the front and take them to the final. He picked off three boundaries in the penultimate over from James Kirtley then Rana Naved-ul-Hasan’s two no-balls in the last sealed the result.Denly continued to prove his class, with some clean cover-driving the highlight. He eventually holed out sweeping Saqlain Mushtaq at midwicket for 31, and was quickly followed by Martin van Jaarsveld for 2, sweeping Mushtaq Ahmed onto his stumps (69 for 2). Matthew Walker’s 18 then proved very useful as Kent continued their final push.”It’s the mark of a good side that you can struggle and come back strong again later on,” said Sussex captain Chris Adams beforehand. This attitude saw them to their first finals day, but this time, as they slipped from 59 for 0 to 140 all out, it was not enough – despite never giving up. That total was way short of what they could have expected, losing their last nine wickets for 59 runs off 58 balls.It was all so different first up. A confident decision to bat looked to be paying off when Murray Goodwin and Chris Nash were going great guns early on. But when Nash miscued a pull high to mid-on for 37, his highest Twenty20 score, his dismissal punctured the momentum.Once Goodwin lost his new partner, Luke Wright, early the pressure was very much on, and he fell one run later. Wright – much like Andrew Flintoff earlier – came in amid much hype, didn’t get going, had a let-off early (in case on 2, backing up) and then fell for 3, Darren Stevens the bowler. Stevens conceded 13 runs from his four overs.Goodwin was next, the first of three tight run-outs, with Chris Adams and Robin Martin-Jenkins the other victims. Matt Prior was another to feel the heat – his desperate sweep to deep midwicket off James Tredwell another effort to boost his flagging side. Tredwell picked up a second when Michael Yardy was stumped, then Malinga cleaned up, with three wickets.A Kent/Gloucestershire final was an unlikely one on paper, not least because Lancashire and Sussex have four each of the nine England Twenty20 squad members today. However, that squad was even criticised by one of its members – Jon Lewis saying “I think they should pick the best players” – and the two finalists showed the class of their own.Kent won the mascot race – the Spitfire bombing past a sorry Lanky the Giraffe at the last – and, with a little batting firepower, they will compete for the real prize.

Scorecard

Salman Butt and Nasir Jamshed slammed centuries as Punjab gained the upper hand on a record-breaking second day in their match against Balushistan.Baluchistan, who were on 298 for 7 overnight, extending their total to 375, courtesy of wicketkeeper Gulraiz Sadaf’s half-century and a quick-fire 31 from No. 10 Imranullah Aslam. Mohammad Hafeez finished as Punjab’s most successful bowler, taking three wickets.In reply, Punjab ran up 425 for the loss of just two wickets, scoring at more than five-and-a-half runs an over, which meant that 502 runs were scored in the day, a record in Pakistan. Opener Hafeez wasn’t as successful with the bat, trapped lbw by Abdur Rauf for nought. Butt and Jamshed were then involved in a huge 251-run stand for the second wicket, helped by the indisciplined Baluchistan bowling who conceded 33 extras, including 22 no-balls.Butt smashed 25 fours and a six as he made 160 at nearly a run a ball before falling to medium-pacer Jalat Khan. Butt has been in spectacular form during the tournament as in only four innings, he totals 639 runs at an average of 159.75. His contribution in four outings so far has been scores of 290, 72, 117 and now 160.Misbah-ul-Haq (82*) and Jamshed then put on 87 runs before Jamshed was forced to retire hurt on 140 – his sixth century of the season – as Punjab finished the day with a 50-run lead with eight wickets still standing.
Scorecard
In a tight contest at the Diamond Club Ground in Islamabad, Federal Areas took a 73-run first-innings lead but Sind hit back, finishing the second day at 128 for 1.For Federal Areas, No. 3 Ashar Zaidi top scored with an unbeaten 87 as they posted 295. Naved Ashraf (34) and Yasir Arafat (27) chipped in with handy contributions. Fast bowler Sohail Khan’s outstanding debut season continued as he grabbed another five-wicket haul to keep Federal Areas’ lead to a manageable amount. He now has 16 wickets from three matches in the Pentangular to complement the 65 he took in this season’s Quaid-e-Azam.Sind’s second innings got off to a confident start with Khurram Manzoor and Khalid Latif putting on 119. Manzoor fell after an aggressive 73 which featured ten boundaries while Latif remained undefeated on 47.

Scorecard

Inzamam-ul-Haq’s cool temperament saw the Lahore Badshahs home in a close encounter against the Chennai Superstars in Panchkula.Inzamam, the captain of the new outfit that consists only of Pakistan players, starred with an unbeaten 43-ball 50 to anchor the chase of 158, which at one stage looked improbable after T Kumaran had struck thrice to leave the Badshahs reeling at 47 for 4.Inzamam, who has pulled off rescue acts many a time for Pakistan, paced his innings perfectly: he was happy with the singles at the start, and cut out the risk of attempting boundaries, before shifting gears when it mattered. Inzamam’s easy approach had a nice foil in the cameo from former Pakistan batsman Naved Latif, who scored 41 off just 26 and was instrumental in changing the tone of the Badshahs’ chase.The 15th over bowled by Tamil Kumaran was the turning point. Badshahs needed more than ten-an-over from the final six, and Latif belted two fours and a six, before striking another six in the next from Ian Harvey after Inzamam had already taken ten off him. When Latif fell, it was down to 34 from 24, and Inzamam and Azhar Mahmood (19 off 11) eased to the target with six balls to spare.After choosing to bat, it was Michael Bevan, the Superstars’ coach-cum-player, who steered his side to 157. In the absence of Stuart Law, the captain who led Superstars in the inaugural edition, Bevan opened the innings and came up with a run-a-ball 56. Pakistan internationals Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and Saqlain Mushtaq took two wickets apiece as the Superstars were restricted to 157, a total that wasn’t enough on the day.

Following the spectacular start to the Indian Premier League, its organisers have chalked out plans for an inaugural Champions League featuring top domestic Twenty20 sides from several countries.Cricinfo has learnt England have been offered the chance to host the tournament, which is likely to be held between the ICC Champions Trophy – which ends on September 28 – and the first Test between India and Australia, starting October 9. However, that is not traditional cricket season in England and given the weather at that time – the end of summer, with shorter days and falling temperatures – a prominent cricket centre in North India will be the back-up venue. That will also help in terms of travel, as the ICC Champions Trophy final will be in Lahore, a short hop away.Details of the Champions League have been informally firmed up over the last few weeks during discussions between top BCCI officials and those from Cricket Australia, Cricket South Africa, Pakistan Cricket Board and crucially, the England and Wales Cricket Board, a senior official who is close to the negotiations, said.Considering the time constraints and the urgency to get the event off the ground this year itself, the officials were apparently keen that the event be wrapped up in nine days with eight matches and a final, ideally, at Lord’s.”There have been a lot of ideas and lots of discussions surrounding the Champions League,” Keith Bradshaw, the MCC chief executive, told . “MCC has had an input into those talks. From a MCC point of view we are very keen to host the big matches at Lord’s, and would always want to be considered for these kind of games.”The common line that has emerged from the elaborate talks is that the Champions League, to start with, could be a short, single-leg league involving the top two domestic Twenty20 teams from the five countries.Lalit Modi, who presided over the opening day of the domestic Indian Premier League (IPL) in Bangalore on Friday as its chairman and commissioner, is expected to “get cracking” on the Champions League very soon.”Informally, a lot of discussions and decisions have happened on the Champions League,” an official said. “Everyone wants to be on board and the level of interest has been very high. There was a joint call on how many countries need to participate, the window that is available at that point of time and so on.”However, officials are aware of the potential complications on the way, especially involving Indian teams whose overseas players may have appeared for their home sides in the domestic Twenty20 tournaments. For example, Kolkata Knight Riders, who won the inaugural match, have Ricky Ponting, the Australia captain, and Chris Gayle of West Indies.”Cricket Australia is one of the keenest supporters of the Champions League,” the official said, “and could make a few adjustments if their players need to be released for the event.”