The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Lord's to stage tsunami appeal match

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 22, 2005

Sport

Sport - Cricket

Lord's to stage tsunami appeal match

By P. Subramanyam

MARCH, MARCH 21. Lord's will stage a match to contribute for the tsunami appeal fund on June 14, it was announced on Monday. Twentytwo of the world's leading players will take part in an event similar to the one that was staged in Melbourne in January.

The fixture will feature the best of international players, including Brian Lara, currently excluded from the West Indies side because of contractual reasons. Other prominent players like Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralitharan, Stephen Fleming and Andy Flower would turn out for MCC XI against an International XI.

Flower, who plays for Essex, said "we are incredibly fortunate in this country to live a pain-free, privileged and comfortable existence. There are millions of people affected by the tsunami living in terrible conditions. This one event has caused so much sadness and hardship. It is important that we make a contribution to such a vital cause. This match gives us an opportunity, in one small way, to alleviate some of that suffering".

Tickets for the 50-overs-per-side contest will go on sale from April 4.

This is the third part of the MCC's commitment to the tsunami relief effort. They have already donated £25,000 to the rebuilding fund of the Galle Stadium, which was destroyed by the tsunami, and will also host a fund-raising event in the refurbished Long Room and Lord's next month.

The rest of the players and the two captains for the match will be named in the coming weeks.

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