Karachi: Pakistan Cricket Board today announced that it will launch its franchised version of the Champions League Twenty20 cricket in October next year.

PCB Chairman Naseem Ashraf said the Pakistan Premier League, featuring six teams, would be launched immediately after the ICC Champions Trophy to be hosted in the country.

Ashraf said the Pakistan League would be a franchised part of the Champions League, which was announced by the Indian Cricket Board earlier this week with Australia, South Africa and England as participating partner boards.

Ashraf said the top two teams from the Pakistan Premier League would take part in the Champions League to be launched by 2009.

"Each of the six teams will feature four foreign players, four local players of the region and under-21 players whose services can be obtained for a fees. The six teams will also be franchised by corporates," he said.

Ashraf said the Premier league would be managed by former Pakistani players and the eventual idea was to allow players to benefit monetarily. He denied the Indians had launched the Champions League concept and its franchised versions to counter a looming threat from the rebel Indian Cricket League launched by the Essel group in India.

"No this concept of the Champions League franchise was in the pipeline by the Indian Board for the last one year and was discussed by the participating boards. It will be an official event and it will allow players to play for their countries as well as earn from playing I the Twenty20 leagues," he added.