Champions League Twenty20 boss Lalit Modi claims there is no chance of this year's tournament avoiding a clash with the end of the English domestic season.
The chances of Hampshire and the other English counties competing in the lucrative event were dealt a severe blow when it was revealed the planned dates for the competition were September 10-26.
That is a month earlier than the 2009 edition which featured Sussex and Somerset and a week earlier than anticipated, therefore overlapping with the closing matches of the county season.
Another tournament in October was ruled out because of its proximity to an India v Australia one-day international series.
The England and Wales Cricket Board urged Champions League organisers to reconsider but their pleas seem unlikely to be acted upon.
Modi, the competition's commissioner, sympathised but pointed out the priority was to avoid clashes with the International Cricket Council's future tour programme.
Modi said: "Of course I can understand that, without doubt, their domestic season is on.
"The South African domestic season begins, the Indian domestic season begins in the first week of September.
"There is very little we can do to avoid all conflicts, domestic and international matches.
"Our first objective has been to avoid all international FTP (Future Tour Programmes) commitments and that is what we have been able to do first.
"It is unfortunate these are the only dates available. If we don't play on these dates we won't be able to play the tournament at all."
Modi's stance leaves the ECB with little room for manoeuvre as they are thought to be unwilling to reorganise their fixture list.
To consider such an action could cause logistical problems with clubs, not to mention difficulties with sponsors and TV broadcasters.
A potential way around the problem would be to stage the tournament in England but that is thought unlikely.
Modi hopes all such clashes can be avoided once the existing FTP expires.
He added: "What we have decided is that from 2012 onwards all boards will get together under the new FTP and find a common slot, which is what everybody wants to work towards.
"The problem is that in the existing FTP - 2009, 2010, 2011 - we had to find dates that everybody could be accommodated in and unfortunately this year the dates are September 10-26."
The ECB are yet to comment on Modi's remarks but said in a statement yesterday they were disappointed about the dates that had been mooted.
It read: "ECB believes that it would be a great shame for the Champions League tournament to be deprived of teams and players by this change of date."
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