New Zealand's Twenty20 champions, the Central Stags, will have to wait a little longer before they know whether they will be invited to India's latest US$6 million (NZ$8.2 million) cricket show.
Whether they get the invitation or not, two New Zealand players will collect big cheques; former captain Stephen Fleming and the Stag's captain Jacob Oram.
The powerful Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) is creating its inaugural Twenty20 Champions League, the top two domestic sides from India, South Africa, Australia and England.
But in a battle for control of the new sport, England has its sights set on its own league in Sharjah.
Complicating matters is the division in India between BCCI's India Players League (
IPL) and the rival Indian Cricket League (ICL).
England's top Twenty20 sides are Kent and Middlesex with the latter featuring two ICL players, Pakistan's Azhar Mahmood and Justin Kemp of South Africa. If Middlesex refuse to remove their ICL players for the new league, the New Zealand Central Stags are in line for an invitation to play - with the prospect of a US$1 million cheque just for showing up.
In Mumbai yesterday, IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi, Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland, Cricket South Africa CEO Gerald Majola, IPL CEO Sunder Raman and International Cricket Council's principal advisor IS Bindra met to decide on the new league's outline.
Despite being invited, the England Cricket Board did not send a representative.
The inaugural IPL finalists - the Chennai Super Kings (whose ranks include Fleming and Oram) and the Shane Warne led Rajasthan Royals - will represent the Indian challenge in the competition which starts on September 29 and will run to October 8 with a total of 15 matches.
If the Stags get an invitation Oram will have to decide between the Super Kings and the Stags.
Australia will be represented by Victoria and West Australia and South Africa by the Dolphins and Titans.
Modi was not able to clear up the issue of whether New Zealand would be invited.
"We've extended an invitation to the Middlesex and we are hoping to hear positively from the ECB", Modi said. "We have always wanted this to be a global competition. England and the ECB have contributed to the game of cricket we would continue to endeavour to have England as part of the inaugural season of Champions League."
