SA Footy

The prize money for the Champions Trophy has increased nearly four times, with US$4 million on offer for the tournament to be played from September 22 to October 5 in South Africa.

The format has also been revamped, with only eight instead of ten teams participating. Unlike in 2006, when the tournament lasted nearly a month, there will be no qualifying round this time. Centurion and Wanderers will host all 15 games between them.

The teams have been divided into two groups of four each and the top two from each will qualify for the semi-finals. India and Pakistan find themselves in the same group, along with Australia and West Indies, and the two rivals will meet on the fifth day of the tournament in a day-night game at Centurion. Group B includes South Africa, England, Sri Lanka and New Zealand. The hosts will play Sri Lanka in the opening game in Centurion.

The West Indies board was forced to name a weakened side due to its ongoing dispute with the West Indies Players' Association (WIPA), with neither willing to back down despite widespread criticism of both sides. The impasse, mainly over players' contracts, has continued for more than two weeks and WIPA has asked the respective national governments to step in.

The board's naming of a squad without most of the leading players for the Champions Trophy in September is another indication that there might not be an early resolution to the dispute.

West Indies squad
1 Ryan Austin, 2 Christopher Barnwell, 3 David Bernard, 4 Tino Best, 5 Royston Crandon, 6 Romel Currency, 7 Travis Dowlin, 8 Fidel Edwards, 9 Rayad Emrit, 10 Andre Fletcher, 11 Ryan Hinds, 12 Leon Johnson, 13 Anthony Martin, 14 Kevin McClean, 15 Nikita Miller, 16 Nelon Pascal, 17 Brenton Parchment, 18 Omar Phillips, 19 Daren Powell, 20 Kieran Powell, 21 Floyd Reifer, 22 Dale Richards, 23 Kemar Roach, 24 Darren Sammy, 25 Shane Shillingford, 26 Devon Smith, 27 Kevin Stoute, 28 Devon Thomas, 29 Gavin Tonge, 30 Chadwick Walton

Fast bowler Charl Langeveldt has been named in South Africa's provisional 20-member squad for the Champions Trophy to be held in September, marking his comeback to international cricket after more than a year. His last ODI was against Bangladesh in Dhaka back in March last year.

South African Provisional squad: Graeme Smith (capt), Johan Botha, Yusuf Abdulla, Hashim Amla, Mark Boucher (wk), AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Charl Langeveldt , Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Makhaya Ntini, Justin Ontong, Wayne Parnell, Robbie Peterson, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Roelof van der Merwe, Vaughn van Jaarsveld

Rahul Dravid is the surprise inclusion among India's probables for the ICC Champions Trophy in September this year. The selectors picked a longlist of 30 players for the tournament, to be held in South Africa, including Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan.

Indian Probables: MS Dhoni, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, Abhishek Nayar, Ishant Sharma, Zaheer Khan, RP Singh, Praveen Kumar, Harbhajan Singh, Pragyan Ojha, Ravindra Jadeja, Dinesh Karthik, Munaf Patel, R Ashwin, M Vijay, Amit Mishra, Ajinkya Rahane, Dhawal Kulkarni, S Badrinath, Ashish Nehra, Virat Kohli, Bhuvneshwar Kumar Singh, Wriddhiman Saha, Pankaj Singh.

here is the aussie squad
Ricky Ponting (c) - TAS, 35
Michael Clarke (vc) - NSW, 28
Doug Bollinger - NSW, 27
Nathan Bracken - NSW, 31
Callum Ferguson - SA, 24
Brett Geeves - TAS, 27
Brad Haddin - NSW, 31
Ryan Harris - QLD, 29
Nathan Hauritz - NSW, 27
Moises Henriques - NSW, 22
Ben Hilfenhaus - TAS, 26
Jon Holland - VIC, 22
James Hopes - QLD, 30
Phillip Hughes - NSW, 20
David Hussey - VIC , 32
Mike Hussey - WA , 34
Mitchell Johnson - WA , 27
Jason Krejza - TAS, 26
Brett Lee - NSW, 32
Shaun Marsh - WA, 26
Andrew McDonald - VIC, 28
Clinton McKay - VIC, 26
Marcus North - WA, 29
Tim Paine - TAS, 24
Peter Siddle - VIC, 24
Shaun Tait - SA, 26
Adam Voges - WA, 29
David Warner - NSW, 22
Shane Watson - NSW, 28
Cameron White - VIC, 25

interesting to see Tim Paine there, he batted well in the Australia A games but choc should be back up. i thaught that Graham Manou might get a few one dayers at the end of the Ashes but i guess tim paine will be picked to give hads a rest now

also this squad propably spells the end For Brad Hodge as an international cricketer.

the joker wrote:also this squad propably spells the end For Brad Hodge as an international cricketer.

Finally.

Bloody Tasmania has double the number of players in the squad the Redback do

Medium-pacer Lonwabo Tsotsobe and left-arm spinner Robin Peterson have been named in South Africa's Champions Trophy squad, marking their return to international cricket. They take the place of Morne Morkel and Vaughn van Jaarsveld

South Africa squad: Graeme Smith (capt), Johan Botha, Hashim Amla, Mark Boucher (wk), AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Albie Morkel, Makhaya Ntini, Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Roelof van der Merwe

Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Asif's rehabilitation is almost complete after he was named in the Pakistan squad for the Champions Trophy, having been out of international cricket for over a year. Asif is one of five pacemen for the tournament, but there is no place for allrounder Abdul Razzaq, who took four wickets from three matches on his comeback to ODI cricket in Sri Lanka earlier this month.

Pakistan: Younis Khan (capt), Imran Nazir, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi, Naved-ul Hasan, Fawad Alam, Mohammad Yousuf, Kamran Akmal (wk), Umar Gul, Mohammad Aamer, Mohammad Asif, Rao Iftikhar, Saeed Ajmal

Why do they even bother with these tournaments?

Aerie wrote:Why do they even bother with these tournaments?

I say let a struggling nation win it - they need the cash - how about a bit of match fixing to get the Bangas up??

Sri Lanka have named a largely expected 15-man squad for next month's Champions Trophy. Among the changes are the dropping of legspinner Malinga Bandara and seamers Dilhara Fernando and Isuru Udana from the side that played Pakistan earlier this month. There was no place either for Chaminda Vaas, who retired from Tests but wants to play one-dayers till the 2011 World Cup.

Sri Lanka: Kumar Sangakkara (capt), Sanath Jayasuriya, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Kapugedera, Angelo Mathews, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis, Thilan Thushara, Nuwan Kulasekara, Dammika Prasad, Lasith Malinga, Thilina Kandamby

Daryl Tuffey and Brendon Diamanti have made it to New Zealand's Champions Trophy squad while Nathan McCullum misses out. Diamanti, who is playing for New Zealand A in India, will also join the Twenty20 and one-day squads in Sri Lanka.

New Zealand Champions Trophy squad: Daniel Vettori (capt), Shane Bond, Neil Broom, Ian Butler, Brendon Diamanti Grant Elliott, Martin Guptill, Gareth Hopkins, Brendon McCullum, Kyle Mills, Jacob Oram Jeetan Patel, Jesse Ryder, Ross Taylor, Daryl Tuffey

Well it is underway with Sri Lanka giving one of the favourites a belting last night.

Sri Lanka

8/319 (50)

Dilshan 106 (92)
Jayawardene 77 (61)
Sangakkara 54 (74)

Steyn 3/47 (9)
Parnell 3/79 (10)

*Rain reduced the target to 262 from 37.4 overs

South Africa

Smith 58 (44)
Kallis 41 (48)
Morkel 29 (32)

Mendis 3/30 (7)
Mathews 2/43 (8)

Sri Lanka win by 55 runs with Dilshan the Man of the Match

Any tips for most runs and wickets for the series?

Two Sri Lankans, Sangakkara and Mendis.

Pakistan win by 5 wickets over the windies

windies - 133

pakistan win with 19 overs left