LONDON, June 13: India captain Saurav Ganguly will be aiming to restore his dented reputation after he was drafted in as a late replacement for Ramnaresh Sarwan in Tuesday’s tsunami appeal match between MCC and an International XI at Lord’s. The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) hopes to raise more than 485,000 from gate receipts alone for the survivors of the Dec 26 tsunami, which killed more than 200,000 people and left thousands homeless.

West Indies batsman Brian Lara, the only man to score 400 runs in a Test innings, will captain the International XI and New Zealand’s Stephen Fleming will lead the MCC team in the one-day match.

“I’m happy to be involved with this. It is a very good cause and the entire cricket fraternity has come forward to support this effort,” MCC’s Indian spinner Anil Kumble said.

Ganguly, who will also line for the MCC, struggled to score during the recent Pakistan series and his future in the Indian team remains in the balance.

But a convincing performance in front of a global audience on Tuesday will show he still has plenty to offer.

Record Test wicket-taker Shane Warne is also in action despite quitting limited overs cricket two years ago.

The Australian agreed to participate after visiting devastated areas in southern Sri Lanka in February.

During the interval between innings, Warne will join forces with India’s Sachin Tendulkar, unable to play after undergoing elbow surgery, in offering one fan an unforgettable experience.

The highest bidder in an on-line auction will receive 15 minutes of coaching from Tendulkar before facing an over from Warne on the Lord’s pitch.

Having been sidelined from the contest, Tendulkar was determined to make some form of contribution to the proceedings.

“As I can’t even shadow-bat, I won’t actually be illustrating any stroke...the tips are going to be verbal,” Tendulkar told Indian daily The Telegraph.

Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, who has been at the forefront of the fundraising effort for the tsunami victims, was a late injury withdrawal from Tuesday’s match and is replaced by India’s Harbhajan Singh.

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