With club vs state the new conflict,players walk the tightrope

Dirk Nannes and David Saker were at their vantage point at the Palam sports complex on the thin strip of land separated by the boundary ropes...

Dirk Nannes and David Saker were at their vantage point at the Palam sports complex on the thin strip of land separated by the boundary ropes of the A and B grounds shifting their attention between their team mates on one side and two other sides playing on the other.

Victoria and Delhi are firing from a shared arsenal in the Champions League,with the Daredevils in particular seeing most of their recruits donning different colours. The Deccan Chargers and Bangalore Royal Challengers,too,have lost a number of players to Victoria and New South Wales. And this scenario will only get more confusing next season with several clubs from other countries going on a shopping spree,leading to a tasteless cocktail in which players are eligible to play for different teams at a time.

In a tournament already delayed by a year,it is this aspect confused loyalties that could lead to low intensity from players who are doing a balancing act between their IPL contracts and state affiliations that could harm the tournament in its inaugural edition. While IPL passed the club vs country because all the franchises were based in India,its the mix and match of club vs state teams that prove to be a hurdle.

Amrit Mathur,Chief Operations Officer of Daredevils says: More and more teams has gone on a signing spree to get the best T20 players on board in their domestic competition. This year,we have borne the brunt with many of our players in other teams. But from next year onwards,this trend with only catch on. T teams will start signing players just to make them eligible to play the Champions League,even if theyre not going to be available for most of their domestic events.

Cricket Australia has already extended a grant of AUD 50,000 to states to buy an overseas player for the T20 tournament. South Africa and New Zealand,too,have been signing players. Tillakaratne Dilshan,the ICCs T20 Player of the Tournament,for example,stands the chance of being eligible for four out of 12 in next years competition.

Spoilt for choice

The availability of players for too many teams might be a problem for the Champions League. The organisers and the governing bodies will have to take a call based on the first edition of the tournament. I hope theres enough talent all over the world to get evenly distributed, Delhi Daredevils coach David Saker added.

This years competition will be testing waters. I think,there will be a particular set of players who will be playing for more teams in the coming seasons. This is a new situation,and one has to w ait and watch how it unfolds.

Story continues below this ad

The New South Wales team management is looking to recruit some new team mates for next season,and their focus is on Dinesh Karthik and Manoj Tiwary,making the Champions League a hunting ground for scouts from other countries for available Indian talent.

How this will effect the tournament,struggling to find its identity,in real terms is yet unknown. The teams are hoping there will be some answers,instead of more questions,by the end of this edition.