Pakistan's domestic T20 winners to play in Champions League: BCCI

Chennai, May 12: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Saturday decided to invite Pakistan's domestic Twenty20 champions for the Champions League tournament to be hosted by India in October.

The BCCI working committee's decision to invite a Pakistani domestic team means domestic Twenty20 champions Sialkot Stallions, led by Shoaib Malik, would be seen in action in October.

Bilateral cricket ties between India and Pakistan have been put on hold after the terrorist attack in Mumbai in 2008 by Pakistani nationals.

"The Working Committee has decided to invite a team from Pakistan to play in Champions League Twenty20 to be held in October," BCCI president N. Srinivasan told reporters after the working committee meeting.

"This is a recommendation that the BCCI will make to the Governing Council. CLT20 is owned by BCCI, Cricket Australia, and Cricket South Africa. So we will recommend to the Governing Council that the BCCI has no objection and is prepared to invite a Pakistan team in the Champions League.

"CLT20 will be played in India. As far as inviting a Pakistani team is concerned, it will be done by the Governing Council. The BCCI will make the recommendation to the Governing Council which will decide on the matter," he added.

During the meeting, the BCCI also decided that from the surplus of IPL, the board will make a one-time benefit payment to cricketers who have retired before 2003-04 in recognition of their services to Indian cricket, in both international and domestic levels. Around Rs.70 crore will be distributed among 160 cricketers.

The BCCI also decided to set up its Anti-Corruption Unit on the lines of the one in the International Cricket Council (ICC).

The working committee also approved a limited number of friendly matches to be played by IPL teams with associate and affiliate countries of the ICC, between June and August, subject to guidelines to be framed by the BCCI.