At last we have some high-class T20 cricket to look forward to in the Champions League starting on Friday, 10th September 2010. It is a welcome relief to have some positive cricket to focus on following the difficulties faced by the game over recent weeks and months. South Africa is a fabulous venue for the event and it must be considered as one of the leading destinations for global sport after the success of the FIFA World Cup. I am sure that the country will again stage a magnificent tournament over the next few weeks. South Africa has some special ingredients that have made the previous global events hosted stand out above other destinations. Firstly, their stadiums are first class, making for a comfortable and enjoyable spectator experience. Secondly, and more importantly, the South Africans are huge sports fans. Don't underestimate their knowledge of cricket, the players and the teams. I am sure that their desire to see their home teams succeed and their passion for competition will have a big impact on creating a fantastic atmosphere for all.

Let's not forget that they successfully staged IPL 2 with the South African public taking to the overseas teams immediately. Cricket lovers from across the country have been asking for Indian teams to come back and play there. Thankfully, now they have their wish granted, with Indian teams returning along with the best domestic teams from around the cricketing world. The only blot on this perfect picture is the absence of the English Champions Hampshire Royals. No doubt you would expect me to sympathize with them due to the close personal connection, however I feel that it's a bit like a "Domestic Cricket Olympics" without one of the major nations competing. I would hope for the games administrators to get together and solve this omission at the earliest.

For many players, the Champions League will be the perfect platform to showcase their talent for the next IPL and you can rest assured that this will be at the back of some players minds. The pathway to the IPL is steep as you compete with the world's finest cricketers; however it takes a couple of yorkers or one match-winning innings to catapult you out of the shadows and into the limelight as Mr Pollard will testify to from last year's Champions League! It will be fascinating to see who will follow his rapid rise to the top.

Finally, for what it's worth I would like Royal Challengers Bangalore to mount a serious challenge. They have enjoyed success in South Africa reaching the IPL final in 2009, so nearly all their players are comfortable with the conditions. Their South African influence within the team is huge; not only do they have in Jacques Kallis and Dale Steyn two of the most successful T20 cricketers in the world game, they even have a South African coach in Ray Jennings. When you combine this local expertise and talent with seasoned Indian masters like Kumble and Dravid, I think they will prove very tough to beat.

Enjoy what is sure to be a celebration of great cricket!

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Fellow Royals,
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