Today: Perth Scorchers, Sialkot Stallions, Sydney Sixers, Titans, Trinidad & Tobago, Uva Next and Yorkshire.
Perth Scorchers
Qualification: Runners-up, Big Bash League
Captain: Marcus North
Players to Watch : Herschelle Gibbs, Paul Collingwood, Shaun Marsh
One of the less glamorous sides in the CLT20, the Marcus North-led Australian outfit is a tough Twenty20 side. Key to the side’s success in South Africa will be the performances of the few players with international experience – chiefly veteran batsman Simon Katich, who captained NSW to victory in the CLT20 three years ago, Shaun Marsh, Brad Hogg, Herschelle Gibbs and Paul Collingwood. The team's wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi is also an integral member of the side, having kept outstandingly in this year’s Big Bash League in which Perth were runners-up. This is a side with an able pace-bowling attack.
Sialkot Stallions
Qualification: Winners, Faysal Bank T20
Captain: Shoaib Malik
Players to Watch: Shoaib Malik, Imran Nazir, Naved-ul-Hasan
This year will see Pakistan’s first representation at the CLT20 in the form of current Faysal Bank T20 winners Sialkot Stallions. The team was also the representatives in the 2008 tournament but that event was cancelled after the Mumbai terrorist attacks and Pakistani teams had been kept out of subsequent tournaments. The Shoaib Malik-led Stallions will need to qualify for the main event and will take on Auckland Aces and Hampshire two days later in a bid to seal their progress. This is a side that won an unprecedented 25 Twenty20 games between 2005 and 2010.
Sydney Sixers
Qualification: Winner, Big Bash League
Captain: Brad Haddin
Players to Watch : Brad Haddin, Shane Watson, Pat Cummins, Nathan McCullum, Mitchell Starc, Steven Smith
The stronger of the two Australian teams at the CLT20, Sydney are the winner of the inaugural BBL and have the ability to push the best teams in the tournament. Though David Warner has opted for his IPL franchise, in Shane Watson the team has the best allrounder in the game. Add Steven Smith, Brad Haddin, Michael Lumb and Moises Henriques and the batting looks very good. This is also a fine bowling team, led by Australia's new-ball pair of Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc with New Zealand import Nathan McCullum a canny spinner.
Titans
Qualifications: Winners, T20 Domestic Cup
Captain: Martin van Jaarsveld
Players to Watch: Jacques Rudolph, Roelof van der Merwe
South Africa's T20 champions Titans have been dealt a massive blow with AB de Villiers’ injury ruling him out of the tournament, and that leaves the side lacking a match-winner with the bat and in the field. The side lacks international experience with only captain Martin van Jaarsveld, Roelof van der Merwe, Jacques Rudolph, Paul Harris, Farhaan Behardien and Hieno Kuhn having played for South Africa. What they lack in international exposure the team can hope to make up with in the form of Twenty20 freelancer Alfonso Thomas whose experience around the world makes him a valuable asset. He also has CLT20 experience, having played with Somerset in 2009.
Trinidad & Tobago
Qualification: Winners, Caribbean T20
Captain: Denesh Ramdin
Players to Watch : Denesh Ramdin, Darren Bravo, Ravi Rampaul, Lendl Simmons
T&T, who made the finals of the inaugural CLT20 in 2009, will be without their three top players - Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo and Sunil Narine - who have elected to play for their IPL franchises. However, they will be joined in South Africa by captain and wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin, fast bowler Ravi Rampaul, legspinner Samuel Badree and batsmen Lendl Simmons and Darren Bravo. The squad also boasts of a number of emerging players such as batsman Evin Lewis and allrounder Yannick Ottley, who impressed with a match-winning unbeaten 52 against Bangladesh after Trinidad crumbled to 12 for 5 in the recent Asia versus the Caribbean series. There is also the allrounder Kevon Cooper who made heads turn in IPL 5 playing for Rajasthan Royals.
Uva Next
Qualification: Winners, Sri Lanka Premier League
Captain: Thilina Kandamby
Players to Watch :Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Jacob Oram, Umar Gul, Upul Tharanga
The newest of entrants in the race for Twenty20 glory, Uva Next came to prominence after winning the inaugural Sri Lanka Premier League this year. A good mix of local Sri Lankan talent and players with international experience – such as captain Thilina Kandamby, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Jacob Oram, Umar Gul, Upul Tharanga, Andrew McDonald, Fawad Alam and Dilhara Fernando – Uva Next will be out to prove they belong with the best in the business. Their drawback is that most of their home-grown taken has not experience of South African conditions.
Yorkshire
Qualification: Runners-up, Friends Life t20
Captain: Andrew Gale
Players to Watch : David Miller, Ryan Sidebottom
The most low-profile of teams at the CLT20, Yorkshire earned a place in the qualifiers after finish second best to Hampshire in England's Friends Life t20 this year. Though they have a host of experience domestic players, Yorkshire lack players with international experience and that leaves much reliance on local boy David Miller and former England fast bowler Ryan Sidebottom. The team suffered a blow shortly before departing for South Africa with news that England batsman Jonny Bairstow had been ruled out due to a wrist injury. Yorkshire will play Uva Next and T&T in the qualifying stage.
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