MELBOURNE: Cricket icons Shane Warne of Australia and India’s Sachin Tendulkar will captain opposing teams of former star players in a three-match exhibition tour of the United States next month.

The International Cricket Council (ICC)-sanctioned Cricket All Stars tour will feature short-format Twenty20 matches in New York, Houston and Los Angeles starting from Nov 7 at Citi Field, home to Major League Baseball’s New York Mets.

Among the throng of cricketing greats signed up are Brian Lara, Courtney Walsh, Curtly Ambrose, Jonty Rhodes, Michael Vaughan, Muttiah Muralitharan, Wasim Akram, Jacques Kallis, Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden, Glenn McGrath and Brad Haddin.

The other games of the tour will be played at the Houston Astos’ Minute Maid Park on Nov 11 and Dodger Stadium on Nov 14.

Batting legend Tendulkar predicted the Twenty20 format matches, which generally take no more than three hours to play, will appeal to US sports fans.

“Americans are so passionate about sports, and there’s a huge potential for cricket to take off,” he said in a statement. “We’re also planning some other events and festivities in each city so we can reach as many fans as possible.

“It would be great some day to see cricket bats right alongside the baseball bats, basketballs and soccer balls in America.”

Warne, who initiated the idea with Tendulkar, said the tour has signed “all the top players you’d ever want to see.”

“I’m excited for cricket fans in the United States to be able to see these amazing players for the first time.”

Warne is considered one of the greatest bowlers to have played the game, while Tendulkar is an icon in India and regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time.

The Cricket Australia website reported on Wednesday that a portion of the earnings from the three matches will go to the world governing body, the ICC, to help grow the sport in the US.

ICC chief executive David Richardson said: “It would help cricket to reach its significant potential in the USA We therefore wish them well and thank them for their enthusiasm to develop cricket outside of its traditional boundaries.”

Published in Dawn, October 8th , 2015

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