Victorian camaraderie to be of massive advantage during Champions League: White

Bangalore, Oct. 9 (ANI): Victoria skipper Cameron White has said his team's unity will overshadow star-studded Indian Premier League teams in the Champions League Twenty20.

"I think it's a massive advantage for us, and I'm hoping we're one of the best teams going around. That's definitely a bonus that we are a team and are together the whole year round. I think that's one of the biggest pluses going for us," The Age quoted White, as saying.

The Bushrangers are raring to go with a track record of winning three of the four Big Bash Twenty20 competitions in Australia. And the captain dominated in Australia's 6-1 recent one-day series victory over England and shared a match-winning stand with Shane Watson in the Champions Trophy final.

"It's just reassuring to know that you can do it at that [international] level under pressure. It gives you confidence and self-belief that you can compete in any situation at that level," White said.

White said he was confident Victoria would overcome the loss of Dirk Nannes, who was drafted by the Delhi Daredevils for the six million dollars tournament.

"Peter Siddle's coming back into our team, who we didn't have KFC Big Bash, so that will be a big plus for us. Shane Harwood we know, and then we've got some young guys like Clint McKay - who's really stepped up and been pretty close to Australian selection himself over the past 12 months," he said.

Victorian coach Greg Shipperd, who has stepped down as Delhi's coach for the duration of the Champions League, predicted the tournament would parallel the IPL's success.

"For domestic players, to be able to get the opportunity to shine in an international tournament is something that everyone has worked very, very hard for in their own competitions. For Victoria this has been a four-year project and we're really looking forward to it," Shipperd said. (ANI)