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From Cricinfo:

Many of the 12 teams participating in the Champions League Twenty20, starting in Bangalore on October 8, face tough choices in selecting their final squads after officials released updated tournament rules today. These regulations will force teams like Delhi Daredevils, the IPL qualifiers, to cut down on their foreign strength to minimise a payout for "away" players - pegged at $200,000 for each player - and Sussex to omit Murray Goodwin because of the batsman's past links with the ICL.

Sussex will not be disqualified for having played Goodwin in their domestic Twenty20 tournament, which is considered as the qualifying round for the Champions League. Goodwin, the former Zimbabwe player, quit the ICL before May 31.

Can't get any more disgusting.

http://www.cricinfo.com/t20champions200 ... 20263.html

This Champions League stuff is all a bit confusing for us at Sussex so far.

We have known that Murray would not be available except in exceptional circmstances, he resigned from the ICL in order not to stop Sussex from being able to qualify this year but he did not do it in time to qualify to play himself.

We now have various rumours about who is eligible to play and what criteria are to be used. Some say that selection can only be based on those that have actually played in this seasons English domestic 20/20 and not those signed squad players who have not been selected, this seems totally ridiculous but as it's BCCI involved who knows ? We have had 17 players take part this season, of those Murray is unavailable, Dwayne Smith is also registered with Deccan Chargers and Piyush Chawla was only a temporary overseas player while we were waiting for Yasir Arafat to finish his Pakistan duties. Could this mean that we will only have 14 players eligible for the Champions League ? it's all a complete mystery at the moment but i'm sure we won't be penalised when an Indian side wouldn't be

No doubt, some time before the players are due in India, the rules will be explained ........

Just a little update on Murray from the Sussex CCC site today.

He may be allowed to go with the side to India as a 'member of the support staff'. Sussex would have to confirm to the organisers that he was not taking part in any coaching while there but solely acting as one of the three club oficials allowed.

So far the financial figures have turned out to be far less than those originally rumoured with the players receiving around £3000 each, meanwhile the Sussex Chief Executive Dave Brooks has a 104 page contract to wade through in order to get some idea of what participation in the CL actually means to the club.

Whatever the Champions League people want to do they obviously will, but Murray has stuck his fingers up at them today with a truly remarkable return to form in the 4 day game.

2009 has been a very poor 4 day season for him with a top score of just 65 up till the present game against Somerset, finishing last night on 98* he has, for the second time, set a new individual highest score for Sussex with a magnificent 344* from 351 balls in 414 minutes with 43 fours and 6 sixes. The innings was declared at tea with a new highest ever first class score for Sussex of 742-5 while Murray set a new county 4th wicket record of 363 with Carl Hopkinson.

A truly wonderful return to form for one of the best batsmen of the modern game.

That's a big knock! Congrats to him.

Congratulation to Goodwin for playing this big innings.

Scorecard: http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Score ... 04590.html

Sussex has declared and Murray Goodwin has got 344*

I suppose this thread shouldn't really be on the Zimbabwe forum, especially as Murray won't be taking part in the Champions League

Sussex have today announced their initial 20 man squad for the CL which has to be reduced to 15 on September 8th, the best news has been that Barbadian Dwayne Smith has chosen Sussex rather than his IPL side Deccan Chargers and Indian leggie Piyush Chawla has also agreed to play after having represented Sussex in one domestic 20/20 match in June, the full squad is

Chawla, Smith, Pakistani international Yasir Arafat, Matt Prior, Luke Wright, Ed Joyce, James Kirtley and Mike Yardy who have all represented England, Kenyan Ragheb Aga along with Will Beer, Ben Brown, Joe Gatting, Rory Hamilton-Brown, Andy Hodd, Carl Hopkinson, Chad Keegan, Chris Liddle, Robin Martin-Jenkins, Chris Nash and Ollie Rayner.

The Group B fixtures will be against New South Wales Blues on 11th October and Diamond Eagles on 13th October in Delhi, the top two sides will then move to Hyderabad to contend for a spot in the semi finals.