Champions League 2009 put back

Middlesex will represent England in this year's Champions League, which takes place in December

The second edition of the Twenty20 Champions League will be pushed back to accommodate the rescheduled Champions Trophy.

The International Cricket Council announced at a board meeting in Dubai this week that the Champions Trophy in Pakistan - due to be held last month but postponed due to security concerns - will be held from September 24 to October 5 next year.

Those dates clashed with the Champions League, which was originally scheduled to be held from September 25 to October 10, but Cricket Australia, the Board of Control for Cricket in India and Cricket South Africa - the competition's founding boards - have decided to hold the tournament from October 10 to 23.

"The rescheduling was a goodwill response to a request from the ICC to consider new playing dates for 2009," read a joint statement from the three organisations.

Australia are due to play to play seven one-day internationals in India in October next year under the Future Tours Programme and it remains to be seen how those matches will be accommodated.

Middlesex, as England's Twenty20 Cup winners, will compete in this year's Champions League, which will take place in India from December 3 to 10.

They will contest the prize with the top two sides in India, Australia and South Africa, namely Rajasthan Royals, Chennai Super Kings, Western Australia Warriors, Victoria Bushrangers, Titans and Dolphins, while Sialkot Stallions will represent Pakistan.