Time for the unknowns to shine

In its deepest strife cricket looks towards its youngest - and in the eyes of many its most vulnerable - sibling to bring a smile to its fans and proprietors. It is a great opportunity for the Champions League Twenty20 and for those who will turn up full of hope and expectation to play in it. For many of them this will be their moment in the sun, so far either denied or beyond them. Therein lies the essence of club sport.

Two of the happiest moments in the first Champions League were provided by Cornelius de Villiers and Alfonso Thomas. Cricket must give them too the opportunity to frame their exploits and display them.

And so I am hoping to be part of a happy tournament. Hopefully one free of villains who entice and villains who succumb; from bumbling bureaucrats and ridiculous conspiracy theories; from the sleaze that breaking news is married to. I am hoping to see the wonderful eruption of joy that Trinidad & Tobago experienced, and infected us with, last year. Already a step has been taken in that direction with the government of Guyana coming forward to sponsor their side.

This is the little man's opportunity on the big stage; the moment when he can land an upper cut on the big star and maybe even fell him. Cricket is about them too.

But the Champions League also faces a test. Television has invested hugely in international club sport but loyalties take long to build. Supporting your nation is the easier and more natural way. It will take time but we must persevere. Hopefully the ambiguity of who players truly belong to will soon be addressed, and the IPL won't be seen as the ugly big brother kidnapping players away and forcing them to play against their home clubs. Hopefully we will get to where football has, where it is okay for a kid from Barcelona, Cesc Fabregas, to play for a London club against his home town.

And South Africa is a good venue. They know how to handle events, to produce good pitches; and their spectators enjoy good sport. The Champions League is being played very early in their season and these are fresh pitches that, having enjoyed their siesta, will now have men trampling over them all over again. Their character could well hold the key to the success of the tournament. Last year when the Champions Trophy was played there, Centurion produced an excellent surface, while the Wanderers, after sporting a spiteful look initially, settled down too. Everyone would like to see wickets with good bounce and carry for that helps batsmen and bowlers alike. It produces 140-150 kind of games, which are always good fun, like a 270-280 game over 50 overs.

It may seem that South African teams will be favoured, but that need not be the case. Both at the first World Twenty20 and the Champions Trophy, played around the same time of the year, the home team promised much and delivered little to their fans. The only difference I can see is that there will be players from the subcontinent who are still a little short of international class and they might struggle. Having said that, they could be compensated for by the other stars that the IPL money allows.

The first game could well provide an indicator for the rest of the tournament. The powerful Mumbai Indians take on the unexpected qualifiers from South Africa, the Highveld Lions, on their home ground. If the Lions can produce an upset, it could set the stage for South African teams. A good Twenty20 side is not necessarily a collection of stars but of committed multi-skilled players. South Africa have many of those.

But the Indian teams should be better prepared after the embarrassment of the first Champions League. There is now greater bonding, even though this will be the last time they play together, and the young guns, just below international level, have seen a bit more of life and the game. If they are defensive about their chances it will betray their mindset, for on paper they have the best balance.

And don't forget the next IPL auction is a mere month and a half away. Uncapped players will be hoping to attract attention and get the kind of payday that Tyron Henderson did. So, you see, there is much to play for but nothing can be bigger than the opportunity to tell the devotees that they play a clean sport.