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The Champions Cup is a limited overs cricket tournament loosely based on the FIFA Club World Cup Championship and the UEFA Champions League in football. The aim of this tournament is find the best one-day domestic side in the world from each of the 10 Test playing nations as of March 2001. It is anticipated to become a regular event and expand each year with additional cricket nations being represented as the cricketing world grows in stature following years of stifled growth as a result of the ICC's exclusionist policy. The officials have already gone as far as to allow associate nations Kenya and Scotland to send over their national teams to participate alongside 14 other domestic teams emerging from the Test playing nations as they attempt to form their own domestic cricket structures.
The qualification rules of the competition permit the 4 ODI nations with the best W/L ratio (loosely based on the UEFA country coefficient) in ODIs between 1 January 2000 to 1 January 2001 to send over two teams each, whilst the remaining 6 nations are permitted to send over 1 team apiece. The four ODI nations with the privilege of sending over two teams each for the 2000/01 edition are Sri Lanka, Australia, South Africa and England. The tournament is set to be played in the single elimination or knockout format, and will be hosted in Perth, Western Australia.
- Elite/Legend. Used for the players that are undoubtedly the best of the lot or very well established on the international stage.
- Gold. Used for players with a good level of consistency with the ability to deliver during key moments.
- Ruby. Used for players that are extremely talented and/or in great form as of the current season the league is set in.
- Silver. Used for players that aren't as talented as their Gold/Ruby/Legend contemporaries, but still capable of holding their own against the best in business.
- Bronze. Used for players that are a level below Silver. They are more likely to put in good performances than players from the Sapphire/Crystal category.
- Sapphire/Crystal. Used for players that are inexperienced or with a lower skill set compared to those from a higher category. They could either put in good performances or fail miserably.
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The squads are also sorted in the following order:
Opening batsman (1-2)
Top-order (3-4)
Middle-order (4-7)
Lower-order (7-8)
Tailenders pace (9-11)
Tailanders spin (9-11)