Champions Trophy a lost cause?

Unless something dramatic happens at the Champions Trophy, the tournament is unlikely to capture the imagination of Australia's sporting public. And that's a shame.

Once regarded as an unofficial World Cup, the significance of the Champions Trophy has gradually dwindled since its inception in 1998 thanks to the glut of 50-over games.

The advent of Twenty20 threatens to kill it off all together.

The international calendar is crowded enough as it is. India wants room to be cleared to allow the game's elite to play in the IPL, and the ICC will want to do everything it can to make its World Twenty20 a success.

This Champions Trophy almost failed to see the light of day. Originally to be held in Pakistan in September 2008, the event was postponed due to concerns over safety in that country.

It was, in March this year, moved to its current slot (September 22 to October 5) and shifted to South Africa.

In theory, this should be the best advertisement for the 50-over game.

It lacks the prestige of the World Cup but missing too are the minnows.

Only the top eight teams will be there, instead of 16, all of whom have genuine winning claims apart from the Windies, who will be rank outsiders.

And 15 matches will be condensed into two weeks as opposed to the painstaking 51 over 47 days in 2007.

There are two groups of four teams, who play each other once with the top two from each pool to advance to the semis. Every game will count.

The formula is so simple one finds it hard to believe it's been adopted by the ICC.

But winning over Australians during the business end of the AFL and NRL seasons will prove too mighty a task.

Two of Australia's three preliminary-round matches will finish in the early hours of the morning (AEST).

It will kick off its campaign on the night of the AFL grand final against what is effectively a West Indies second XI due to a player strike in the Caribbean.

Its marquee clash with India will climax at the crack of dawn.

That's appealing only to night owls and insomniacs.

Should Australia advance to the semis, it will have to compete with the build-up to the NRL decider for coverage.

As far as Australians are concerned, it's likely to be a phantom event.