The second edition of the Champions League Twenty20 begins in Johannesburg on Friday, with some major changes from its last edition 11 months ago.

The second edition of the Champions League Twenty20 begins in Johannesburg tomorrow, with some major changes from its last edition 11 months ago.

There is a shift in venue from India to South Africa, there are 10 teams instead of 12 with no English participants, the ever-present face of Lalit Modi is missing and there is also no clear favourite.

The September 10 to 26 tournament was moved this year in line with making the event a more globalised one - the last one was hosted by the India and the first one in 2008 cancelled due to safety concerns following bomb attacks across Mumbai.

Its unfortunate timing, though, meant that no English county teams will participate.

Friends Provident T20 champions Hampshire and runners-up Somerset, who played last year, would have qualified, but a clash in fixtures at the end of the season meant the England and Wales Cricket Board had no option but to bar them from competing.

The domestic campaign is only due to conclude on September 18, while the national team will at the same time still be involved in a limited overs series against Pakistan.

This also ruled out the involvement of English players.

Still, the 17-day spectacle is not short of quality with the three cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) clubs - Bangalore, Chennai and Mumbai - the biggest attractions.

However, with the tournament away from the sub-continent, they are not considered the overwhelming favourites with the sides from Australia, South Australia and Victoria, as well as the host country, Warriors and Lions, also contenders.

The domestic champions of Sri Lanka (Wayamba), New Zealand (Central Districts) and West Indies (Guyana) complete the line-up.

Bangalore, captained by former India spinner Anil Kumble, have a strong South African contingent in coach Ray Jennings and Proteas' stars Jacques Kallis and Dale Steyn.

But the skipper insists nothing can be read into that advantage, while he also brushed aside suggestions that the IPL teams are favourites.

Chennai, who won the lucrative Indian league in 2010, are captained by Mahendra Singh Dhoni and include Australian Matthew Hayden and Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan, while Mumbai are led by Sachin Tendulkar and boast West Indian pair Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo.

Kumble said: "The pressure is the same for all the teams.

"I don't think it's any different for the IPL teams. It's a Twenty20 competition and it's anybody's game.

"In a short tournament like this, it's important to start well.

"We're looking to start well and we are not going to put ourselves under any additional pressure of saying we're an Indian team so we have to do well.

"We just want to take one game at a time and ensure that we get the right result."

Bangalore are in Group B for the tournament alongside, South Australia, Guyana, Mumbai and the Lions, who host Tendulkar's side in the opening game at the Wanderers tomorrow.

Group A is made up of Chennai and Central Districts as well as Warriors, Victoria and Wayamba, all three of whom are packed with international experience.

A major absentee in 2010 is Modi - the former face of both this tournament and the IPL, who is currently suspended and being investigated for alleged financial irregularities.

Sundar Raman has replaced him and the chief executive officer is confident the turmoil linked with the IPL will not have any negative effects in South Africa.

He said: "The IPL is a domestic event of the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India), whereas the Champions League is a tournament that has been created by three boards joining together, that is Cricket Australia, Cricket South Africa and the BCCI.

"IPL teams are invited teams or qualified teams to participate in the Champions League, so as far as the cricket goes, there is nothing that is going to affect what happens in the middle or what the cricket loving public around the world is going to see."

Apart from Johannesburg, where the opening match and final will be held, Pretoria, Port Elizabeth and Durban are also due to host games.

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