World XI vs Asian XI Match News

Hoaxers ruin tsunami auction bid

A fund-raising event involving India's batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar and Australia's Shane Warne during the tsunami appeal match between the MCC and an International XI at the Lord's has been cancelled because of internet hoaxers, organisers said here today.
In the event, scheduled to be held during the innings break, the highest bidder in an on-line auction was due to receive 15 minutes of one-to-one coaching from Tendulkar before taking guard in the middle at the historical Lord's stadium to face world's leading Test wicket-taker Warne. However, the highest bids came from people who had no intention of paying.
The auction, which was arranged in conjunction with internet site e-bay, had to be called off as the highest bids come from hoaxers, Marylebone Cricket Club said in a statement.

Ganguly to play in tsunami relief tie; Sachin absent

Indian cricket skipper Sourav Ganguly has given his assent to play in the Tuesday's tsunami relief match between MCC XI and International XI at the Lords.
While he along with VVS Laxman and Anil Kumble will represent the MCC XI, two other Indian cricketers Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid will figure in the International XI.

MCC XI: Stephen Fleming (captain), Chris Gayle, Sourav Ganguly, V V S Laxman, Jacques Kallis, Andy Flower, Kumar Sangakkara, Shaun Pollock, Anil Kumble, Muttiah Muralitharan, Shoaib Akhtar.

International XI squad: Virender Sehwag, Sanath Jayasuriya, Graeme Smith, Brian Lara (captain), Rahul Dravid , Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Chris Cairns, Shane Warne, Chaminda Vaas, Mohammad Sami, Makhaya Ntini

Sachin and Lara to skipper tsunami match

Batting greats Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara are to captain the two teams in the tsunami appeal match being held at Lord's on 14 June. India star Tendulkar leads the MCC side and recently-deposed West Indies captain Lara the International XI.
Two current Test captains, in New Zealand's Stephen Fleming and Graeme Smith of South Africa have already agreed to appear in the 50-over fixture. Lara and Tendulkar will also feature in another match at The Oval six days later, to raise funds for disaster relief including the tsunami appeal.
At least 173,000 people were killed and another 50,000 are missing.

Calcutta tsunami match cancelled

The second tsunami appeal cricket match, scheduled to be held in Calcutta in April, has been cancelled due to the expected hot weather in the city. It was put off for two months due to the unavailability of top players. Now Asian Cricket Council president Jagmohan Dalmiya says he will leave it to the International Cricket Council (ICC) to decide the fate of the match.
"We cannot hold the game in April because it will be very hot in Calcutta," said Dalmiya.
The next such match will probably be the 20 June fixture at the Brit Oval in London.