SUSSEX have been staggered by the interest created in their participation in the £3.6m Champions League in October.

The Sharks have qualified for the inaugural event featuring the world’s 12 best Twenty20 teams which is expected to attract a TV audience in India and the Middle East of one billion viewers.

The club’s media department have been inundated with requests for information about the squad and interviews with the players even though the tournament is six weeks away.

They are hoping to cash in on the profile the event will have by attracting one-off shirt sponsors for the competition.

Using advertising agencies based in Asia, discussions with three companies are already underway after the club’s shirt sponsors RDF, whose agreement ends at the end of 2009, agreed to let the club maximise the commercial impact of the tournament by finding different sponsors.

Brooks said: “RDF have kindly stood aside and we are halfway in discussions with two or three companies.

“Because we could only be in the tournament for two games the agencies we are working with in Asia are looking at companies specfically targeting the big Indian TV audience although one or two do have business interests in the UK market.

“We’re not proud - we will try and get what we can. Basically we could become a billboard for two games.”

FULL STORY IN TODAY'S ARGUS