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Cricket
English team's gesture
By Our Sports Reporter
England captain Nasser Hussain (right) and teammate Andrew Flintoff with a child from the SOS Children's Village at Salt Lake on Tuesday.
KOLKATA, JAN. 15. In a humanitarian gesture, the England and Wales Cricket Board extended financial support to 10 children from the SOS Children's Village - an arm of the SOS Kinderdorf International - here in the city. The England captain, Nasser Hussain, accompanied by four other colleagues visited the refuge for homeless children at the eastern fringe of the city on Tuesday.
Hussain, all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, spinner Ashley Giles, batsman Andrew Vaughan and speedster Matthew Hoggard, spent the morning mingling with the children of the Village, which presently has 195 wards.
The cricketers went round the place and witnessed various activities of the child-care organisation. The children presented a cultural programme and participated in a cricket match with the visitors.
This was the second time - after the former captain Mike Brearley had undertaken to sponsor a child during his visit to the Village in 1982 - that English cricket has contributed to support the activities of the organisation. Announcing the ECB's decision of supporting 10 children till they grow up and earn their living, Hussain wished all a bright future and thanked the organisers for giving the team a chance to be associated with the cause of helping children.
The players rejoined the rest of the squad for a prolonged practice session at the Eden Gardens. The team, timing the session according to the playing hours of their first one- dayer (which will be a day-night affair) against India on Saturday, started training in the afternoon and continued till late into the evening as the floodlights were switched on.
Batsman Michael Vaughan, said there is an aura of greatness about the ground. ``It is going to be a good wicket and the opening match promises to be a good contest,'' he told the press on behalf of the team. The England team management has adopted a policy of sending a member of the team every day to meet the press during the practice sessions. England will play a friendly match with Cricket Association of Bengal XI on Thursday. - Our Sports Reporter
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