International Cricket

Cricket chiefs in India remain "positive" Middlesex will compete in the inaugural Twenty20 Champions League.

Middlesex earned the right to participate in the multi-million dollar event after they were crowned English Twenty20 champions with a last-ball victory over Kent at the Rose Bowl last month.

That victory prompted the organisers of the Champions League, namely the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Cricket Australia (CA) and Cricket South Africa (CSA), to send an invitation to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for Middlesex to take part.

However, Middlesex's lack of correspondence has left the organisers unsure of the final participants in the hastily-arranged eight-team tournament, which it was agreed on Thursday, will be delayed from its scheduled September 29 start date to avoid a row with the International Cricket Council.

Sundar Raman, the chief executive of the Indian Premier League who has also been drafted in by the BCCI to run the Champions League, told PA Sport that while he expected Middlesex to accept the offer, their delay had come following ongoing discussions between the ECB and the three member boards.

Raman revealed those discussions had centred on "team participation, operational rules amongst others", and followed the ECB's announcement that they planned to organise their own Champions League-style tournament.

The BCCI then declined an invitation from the ECB to enter IPL teams in that competition.

"The joint three member boards namely BCCI, Cricket Australia and Cricket South Africa are in active discussions with the ECB on the various areas related to team participation, operational rules amongst others," Raman said.

With regards to Middlesex's participation he added: "Things look positive. The last place in the eight-team Champions League could well be filled up by Middlesex, to whom an invitation has also been extended.

"We are, however, awaiting confirmation of their participation in the inaugural edition.

"We would very much want a team from the England & Wales Cricket Board to participate in the inaugural Twenty20 Champions League, which will pit the best of the club teams in international cricket against each other. Hence, we have invited ECB's Twenty20 Cup winning team 2008 - Middlesex."

Raman also revealed an invitation had been sent, and accepted, by Pakistan's Twenty20 champions, Sialkot Stallions, effectively ending any lingering hope English runners-up Kent had of seeing their ban lifted.

Kent were prohibited from competing in the Champions League by the BCCI because they fielded players who had competed in the rebel Indian Cricket League, namely Justin Kemp and Azhar Mahmood.