Why the Airtel Champions League made no sense

In order of importance:

1. Unequal Representation: While the 2009 edition saw the participation of the top two teams of England's domestic t20 league, this edition was devoid of an English team, for reasons of a clash with the domestic circuit. Mind that England are the international T20 champions of the year, and are without a domestic team representing them. The 2009 edition was meanwhile without a team form New Zealand, for whom the Central Districts Stags got a spot this time around.

2. Infancy of domestic T20 leagues: Though the Indian Premier League is nearing is 4th edition, T20 leagues elsewhere, with the exception of England (which makes it even more questionable to be without an English team), are still in their formative stages. The Australian T20 Bash has been successful, but it's younger even than the IPL. Overall the leagues are more or less haphazard, which is why this edition was without previous finalists, New South Wales Blues and Trinidad&Tobago. Such a tournament should pit teams from well established leagues with one another, as happens in Football's UEFA Champion's League, on which ACLT20 is idealised.

3. Errant team compositions: Many players are involved with two teams, that end up qualifying for the tournament. Case in point is West Indian Kieron Pollard. With Trinidad&Tobago in the 2009 edition, with Mumbai Indians in IPL2010, with South Australia Redbacks in T20 Bash and opted for Mumbai Indians this tournament. A team cannot be expected to let a player be a double agent ( a triple-agent in Pollard's case). A player cannot be involved with more than one team going into a tournament. Uncertainties don't bear well for any of the teams. With the same player being involved in more than one domestic league is acceptable, as his presence in a team doesn't affect the prospects of others in the same domestic league. But when the same player has helped two teams enter a tournament, as in this case, there is a conflict. Pay-offs are arranged in this case, but that is more a job of hushing up dissent.

4. Multiple commitments: For example, Kevin Pietersen of Royal Challenger's Bangalore. ACLT20 is an international event going by the different geographies of the participants. KP is now playing at County. Even had he not, he would've still been a part of the national team in the ODI series vs Pakistan and thus would have missed ACLT20. Staging this event in clash with the ODI series or any other International fixtures will unfailingly make a player fore-go the tournament. It is perhaps an easy excuse to do without domestic English teams, and given that there aren't any Englishmen in any IPL team, the effect wasn't felt in this case. Now if future ACLT20s clash with fixtures for Australia or South Africa, IPL teams, and domestic Australian and South African teams will take a hit and be deprived of quality. There is the reasoning that there is no better space in the calendar - but i say, find space that affects none. Omissions of teams or players is just a very bad idea for getting away.

5. Wait till IPL's new auction: With all IPL teams to undergo a major reshuffle, in wake of the two new teams, the next ACLT20, may very well be without any of the 3 IPL teams featuring now. This is why it would have been best to wait for all leagues around the take shape before unveiling this. When a previous finalist doesn't feature, it is more akin to a ramp for new teams to show case themselves rather than a 'Champion's league'

A 'Test'imony series

Come October, the World's #1 ranked test team play a disproportionately short test series (due to lack of fixture space) that would redeem their status as the best in the world. Having clinched the top of the board slot at the beginning of the year, India silenced critics (me included) who were questioning their status, by winning against Sri Lanka at home, and holding contender's South Africa to a draw after conceding early in a two match series (After clearing space for two tests in a schedule of 5 odis and zero tests, surprisingly). And of late they held Sri Lanka in their own backyard in a series played for most part without the substantial Muthiah Muralitharan. They now enjoy a healthy, i dunno, 7 i think, point lead over second place South Africa. India are riding the bubble.

But the story is different in the opposite camp. After literally owning the #1 spot for almost the whole decade, Australia now are a mediocre 4th in the points table. And it is very well reflective of their performances in the recent past. The Ashes slipped away in 2009, mustered up a couple of victories against lower ranked teams, before recently managing to only level their two test series in England vs Pakistan, the second of which exposed the cracks in the line up pretty clearly when getting skittled out for a paltry 88.

India has always been a tricky place for the Australian touring party, having had only one series victory in a 50 year period in 2005, in a 4 match series led by Adam Gilchrist ( don't i just love saying that...!!!). But nonetheless, there was always high levels of energy and optimism in their camp regardless of history, which took a severe beating in their previous tour here in the October of 2008. Their expectations are expectedly much lower this time, evidenced by their captain Ricky Ponting's displeasure at the timing of the series vis-a-vis next year's Australian Ashes. The mood of the Indian viewer reflect the same sentiments. For the past decade i have, as have many of you, noticed the uncertainty expressed by fans over India's chances against the Australians amid the high fervour and support for the Indian team. This time around, it's very much different, something almost visibly vibrant. Whether it is confidence of India's ability, or over the fall of Oz's supremacy, local expectations and anticipations are sky high. Anything other than a 2-0 victory would be a disappointment, judging the mood. What a change from just a couple of years ago...!!!

Analysing the team strength too would give a clear verdict. Openers Sehwag/Gambhir vs Watson/Katich clearly gives the Indians the hand at least for firepower. Dravid vs Ponting too would go to Dravid going by Ponting's lean run. Tendulkar vs Clarke is a no-contest. Raina vs North cannot be judged just as for Dhoni vs Haddin. It is in the bowling department that Australia will hope to scuffle India's strengths. But on subcontinental wickets, it too remains to be seen. Johnson and Bollinger will have to sweat it out as will Ishant Sharma for India, while Hilfenhaus will try to put best use of the early overs. Most Importantly, India rate over the opponents in the spin department (Hauritz/North vs Harbhajan/Ojha), and come day 4, a lot will matter regards this. Lastly, individual confidence levels will rise high over their counterparts quite surely, and one can expect a domineering performance from the home side. It has never been so much of an Advantage Men in Blue ( ok white..). The only thing that India should pay extra care now is, well Yuvraj's axing reminded me of it, fitness. About time the Saurashtrian Pujara got to share the dressing room. With three IPL teams in the ongoing Airtel Champions League,it would be a setback of sorts for a big gun to develop a problem. One has to pay extra care to that.

In the One-Day department, Australia gave India an unexpected eye-opener in their last series here last year. India with the clearly stronger side failed to produce the goods. It was an injury hit series for both sides, but the Australian's pulled themselves together to upset India 4-2 (well, it was an upset, accept it. It's strange to call an Australian victory so, but that series was. Due to the confidence put up by channels before it). Three ODIs this time. India wouldn't be repeating the same this time one feels, with Australia having taken a beating at England's hands in that too.

It may be a very short tour,but its importance cannot be underestimated. It is a tour that will provide an indication to the tilting power balance in cricket. It is important for both teams keeping next year's 'real' world cup in mind. The onus is now on India to stamp their authority on world cricket other than on sponsorship and viewership terms. And all sides point that they will emerge on top very surely this time. Apropos the title, this series will be a testimony to India's claim to be the top gun in test cricket.

It's a shame that a series of such magnitude is so short. Blast...!!!