World's best in Nokia CL T20 squads

The world's best players have been in high demand after the naming of the final squads to compete in next month's Nokia Champions League Twenty20 tournament in India.

Eight players were initially chosen to represent more than one team in the tournament: Brett Lee (NSW/Kolkata), Jacques Kallis (Warriors/Kolkata), Kieron Pollard (Trinidad & Tobago/Mumbai), Brad Haddin (NSW/Kolkata), Dwayne Bravo (Trinidad & Tobago/Chennai) Doug Bollinger (NSW/Chennai), Davy Jacobs (Warriors/Mumbai) and Aiden Blizzard (South Australia/Mumbai).
Explaining the process for deciding which teams these players would represent, CLT20 Governing Council member and director of Legal and Business Affairs, Dean Kino, said: “Players nominated by more than one team in the final squads were given 48 hours to advise us which team they would play for. Teams were then permitted to replace any player that withdrew from their squad and elected to play for another side.”
“All eight players selected by multiple teams have elected to play for their ‘away’ team.
“Eleven of the 13 teams that will compete in the tournament have now named their final 15-player squads. Only the England teams are still to be confirmed and they will be decided on 27 August, where the winners of the Leicestershire-Lancashire and Hampshire-Somerset semi-finals of England’s domestic T20 competition will reach the CLT20 qualifier.”
After its success in South Africa in 2010, the CLT20 returns to India with a new naming-rights sponsor, more teams, more prize money and participation fees, and the world’s best T20 talent from 19-21 September (qualifier) and 23 September-9 October.
A number of teams will be able to field virtual international-strength playing XIs, among them defending champion Chennai Super Kings and 2009 CLT20 winners, the  NSW Blues.
The Chennai Super Kings have named 13 players with international experience and the NSW Blues and Cape Cobras 12 each, while the Warriors (10) and Kolkata Knight Riders (10) are also brimming with international talent.
The addition of a six-team qualifier this year gives a record 13 teams from around the world a chance to claim the world’s most prestigious prize for domestic cricket. Three teams from the qualifier will progress to the group stage, where they will play four round matches before the top-two teams in each group qualify for the semi-finals.
The qualifier will be played in Hyderabad from 19-21 September while the 10-team Nokia Champions League Twenty20 starts in Bengaluru on Friday 23 September and ends with the final on Sunday 9 October in Chennai.