Reality bites for India after Twenty20 Champions League setback

By N.Ananthanarayanan

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The postponement of a lucrative Twenty20 Champions League in India has added to fears regional security concerns and the financial slowdown could strike into the heart of the global cricket hub.

The inaugural $6 million prizemoney league was shifted to October 2009 on Friday, the eight-team, five-nation event having originally been postponed due to security worries after last month's attacks in Mumbai.

The organisers said scheduling was a big concern. Top players from Australia, India, South Africa, England and Pakistan were to have featured in the event originally planned from Dec. 3 to 10.

The postponement will only increase tension among cricket officials with less than three years left until the 2011 World Cup is staged in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Pakistan have already been hit by domestic security concerns and the Mumbai attacks have strained political ties with India, who seem to have all but scrapped a bilateral tour from January.

Experts feel economic woes are also beginning to hammer sponsorship and advertisement in India, cricket's global hub.

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