Flem274*
123/5
The IPL governing council is considering holding an additional qualifying stage for the 2011 Champions League T20 a few days before the main event, which would give a fourth IPL team a chance to play in it.
"A 4th team may have the opportunity to play CLT20," Sundar Raman, the IPL chief executive, tweeted on May 22. "But they need to play a qualifier tournament a few days before CLT20 with 3 other teams."
Champions League T20 2011: IPL considering CLT20 qualifying stage | Cricket News | Indian Premier League 2011 | ESPN CricinfoIf the qualifier were to take place, that would turn the Champions League into a 10-team tournament from a 12-team one. Three teams from India, two each from Australia and South Africa and one from England would have guaranteed spots in the event. The competition for the remaining two spots would leave at least one of New Zealand, Sri Lanka and West Indies without representation, with two countries standing to lose out if the fourth IPL team qualifies.
This is wrong in my opinion. It keeps the power and bucks in the hands of the powerful at the expense of the lesser.
Not only does a New Zealand, Sri Lankan or West Indian side have to give any star players fortunate enough to play in a top IPL franchise to that franchise for the tournament, they now have to prove that their weakened side is good enough to play in the competition while the IPL franchises with their sides loaded full of everyone elses players cruise on through.
This makes me very angry and erodes the credibility of the tournament in my eyes.