New Delhi: Johannesburg and Cape Town were among the four venues finalised for the fourth edition of the Champions League Twenty20 tournament, which will be held from October 9 to October 28.
Centurion and Durban are the other two venues announced by the CLT20 Governing Council
The event will feature a galaxy of international stars, who will be part of 14 champion teams, from as many as eight countries.
Apart from finalising the host venues, the governing council has also confirmed the teams.
The teams which have made it to the tournament are Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Daredevils, defending champions Mumbai Indians (from India), Auckland Aces (New Zealand), Trinidad & Tobago (West Indies), Sydney Sixers, Perth Scorchers (Australia) Titans, Highveld Lions (South Africa).
Pakistan will be represented for the first time ever by Sialkot Stallions.
The representatives from Sri Lanka and England will be decided after next month`s Sri Lanka Premier League and the ongoing Friends Life T20.
The CLT20, the most lucrative club-cricket tournament in the world, is now in its fourth year, and it will be the second time that it is held in South Africa.
India had hosted the tournament in 2009 and 2011 and were originally frontrunners to hold the competition in 2012 as well.
The last time South Africa had hosted the tournament, in 2010, Chennai Super Kings defeated Warriors in the final in Johannesburg.
Of the already qualified teams, the Titans, Stallions and Australia`s two new Big Bash League Twenty20 teams, the Sydney Sixers and Perth Scorchers, will be making their first appearance in the tournament. The tournament will be preceded by a qualifying stage involving six teams.
The qualifiers, though, will not feature any IPL team unlike last year.
The six teams to play in the qualifying stage are Sialkot Stallions, Auckland Aces, Trinidad and Tobago and one team from Sri Lanka and two from England.
The others include two former champions in Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians.
The 2012 CLT20 tournament and match schedule will be released later.
CLT20 is an initiative of the BCCI, Cricket Australia and Cricket South Africa.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, July 03, 2012, 13:23