JOHANNESBURG, Aug 1: Pakistan captain Inzamamul Haq has been named to lead a powerful Asian squad that will play three One-day Internationals against an Africa XI in South Africa between Aug 17-21. The matches will be played in Centurion on Aug 17 and Durban on Aug 20 and 21 and have been granted full ODI status by the International Cricket Council.

The Asia XI also includes India’s Rahul Dravid and Virender Sehwag, Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara, Sanath Jayasuriya, Muttiah Muralitharan and Pakistan pace bowler Shoaib Akhtar.

The Africa XI will be captained in the first two matches by South African Shaun Pollock, with his compatriot Graeme Smith taking over in the final game, having completed a four-match ban for time-wasting in the West Indies earlier this year.

The Africa squad also includes Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher and Heath Streak, one of three Zimbabweans in the squad. Batsman Steve Tikolo heads a delegation of three Kenyans in the squad. Leading Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar has been ruled out following elbow surgery while South Africans Makhaya Ntini, Justin Kemp and Andre Nel are unavailable because of commitments in English county cricket.

Africa Cricket Association president Peter Chingoka said the matches were a fund-raising initiative.

“The purpose of the series is to raise revenue to meet the mutual developmental goals in both continents and, as part of cricket’s social responsibility, 10 percent of the net profits will go to a charitable cause to be announced by the end of this week,” Chingoka told reporters.

“The Africa team is the best available. The timing is not perfect but we had to kickstart this venture now and sacrifice a bit, otherwise we would have had to wait over a year.

“It will be better in the additional series in Asia in 2006 and back in Africa in 2007.”

Inzamam said he was honoured at being appointed captain. “It’s a great honour for me and for my country.”

The selection panel comprised former Pakistan captain Majid Khan, India’s Ravi Shastri, Sri Lankan Graeme Labrooy and Bangladesh’s Mohammed Shafiqul Haque.

Inzamam’s appointment makes him a front-runner for the captaincy of a World XI which will take on Australia in three one-day matches and in a six-day Super Test to be held in Australia in October this year.

Inzamam, who has been Pakistan’s captain since September 2003, is in both the Test and one-day squads of 20 players short-listed for the World XI.

England’s Michael Vaughan and South African Graeme Smith are the others vying for the World XI captaincy.

A final World XI team and a captain will be announced later this month.

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