BRIDGETOWN, Dec 24: Cricket great Sir Viv Richards will head a West Indies All Star team against a World XI to mark the reopening of Kensington Oval on Feb 17.

Joining Richards will be fellow greats Joel Garner, Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose in the pace battery, and Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes and Richie Richardson in the batting line-up, the Barbados Cricket Association announced.

The US$69 million redevelopment of the oldest cricket ground in the Caribbean, was slated to be finished by New Year's, but won't be handed over to cricket World Cup organizers until Feb 19.

The 123-year-old ground will stage six second-round matches from April 11-21 and the final on April 28.—AP