South African cricket is hoping for a major T20 boost in December during the inaugural Champions League Twenty20.

Despite the Proteas' success in the five-day and one-day games that has kept them ranked second in both formats, the most popular version over the past 18 months - Twenty20 - has yet to take off, even with the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 taking place in the country.

South Africa failed to make the semi-final at the time, but the face of the game could be set for transformation following the introduction of a first ever Champions League Twenty20.

In what is essentially the first international tournament for domestic sides - similar to the football version in Europe - South Africa's top two domestic sides, the Titans and the Dolphins, are set to battle it out with eight other domestic teams from India, Australia, England and Pakistan for the $2million prize.

Both franchises qualified for the competition by finishing top of the pile in the Standard Bank Pro20 Series last season with the Titans, who only just scraped into the final-four, edging their opponents by 18 runs in the final.

Led by former Pakistan and Middlesex coach Richard Pybus, South Africa's 20-over champions have been the most consistent domestic team in recent years.

They won the four-day Supersport Series competition in 2005, sharing the prize with the Dolphins, while 2006 saw them defend the trophy, before they went on to add the 45-over MTN Championship title to their Twenty20 victory last year.

During this period, the team has largely been built around a pool of talented all-rounders including the likes of the Morkel brothers, Albie and Morne, Roelof van der Merwe, Francois du Plessis and captain Pierre Joubert.

The Centurion-based club have been dealt a massive blow in their quest for Champions League glory though, as the versatile Albie Morkel, who turned out for Chennai Super Kings earlier this year, will play for the IPL side due to contractual obligations.

Titans Cricket chief executive Elise Lombard said: "It is a massive blow from a playing perspective not to have him.

"We've been grappling with the matter and believe we've really interrogated all avenues. So it won't be in our interest to enter into any legal wrangle with any party."

Last season the Titans' success was based on a solid bowling attack with Van der Merwe, Ethy Mbhalati and Imran Tahir taking 56 wickets between them during their successful one-day campaign and the former two, along with Albie, claiming a combined 36 in the 20-over games.

Their batting too has strength with Twenty20 specialist Gulam Bodi leading the line, followed closely by AB de Villiers and speedster Dale Steyn completing what on paper should be one of the favourites for the competition.

In contrast, South Africa's second team, the Dolphins, have enjoyed little success of late with their last trophy being the shared Supersport Series of 2005.

The team, coached by Yashin Ebrahim, is built around a hard-working group of youngsters with experience coming in the form of Amla brothers, Ahmed the captain and Hashim, as well as all-rounders Jon Kent, Pierre De Bruyn and Johann Louw.

In opening batsman Imran Khan and left-arm paceman Yusuf Abdullah, they have two of the country's more consistent performers, while wicketkeeper Daryn Smit is one of the finest up-and-coming leg-spinners in the country.

The Durban-based team have added experience to their squad this season with legendary Sri Lanka opener Sanath Jayasuriya and middle-order batsman HD Ackerman brought in, but both will be ineligible for the competition.

Chief executive of the Kwa-Zulu Natal Cricket Union (KZNCU), Cassim Docrat said: "One of the requirements of this Champions League is that the players must be those that had played for the team in the competition that they qualified through.

"So there was no way that we could bring in different players.

"But we are still positive. I think that from a local perspective, to play in an international competition bodes well not only for the union, but also for the players, who will be given outstanding exposure on the international front."