The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Australia to host ICC Super Series

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 06, 2004

Sport

Sport - Cricket

Australia to host ICC Super Series

SYDNEY, JULY 5. Australia will host the Rest of the World XI in three one-dayers and a six-day Test match after the International Cricket Council awarded the rights to stage the game's newest major event, the ICC Super Series, to the country.

Australia beat submissions from India and South Africa to stage the event in October next year.

This is the first ICC event to be held in Australia since the 1992 World Cup. Expatriate Indians can look forward to seeing their favourite heroes — Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly — in action as they will be vying for a spot in the World XI team.

With Australia likely to be the No. 1 team in both forms of the game by the April 1, 2005 cut-off date, Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said the Board had good reason to ask the ICC for the showcase event to be played in Australia.

The Super Series will see a combined World XI compete against the No. 1 ranked one-day team in a three-match series at the Telstra Dome, Melbourne on October 5, 7 and 9. Then they will face the highest-ranked Test team in the one-off six-day Test match at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) from October 14, 2005.

"On cricketing grounds we had a reasonable case, but with the significant support of a number of key partners, we were able to present the ICC with a compelling argument in favour of Australia hosting the event,'' Sutherland said.

Sutherland said the traditional drawing capacity of the SCG and the uniqueness of Telstra Dome provided Cricket Australia with a competitive advantage in putting its case.

``Telstra Dome is the only ICC-approved cricket ground in the world with a roof. Players, spectators, broadcasters and sponsors can prepare for the Series with certainty, knowing that inclement weather will not delay any of the three one-day internationals.

``The SCG is a classic Test cricket ground and has consistently drawn big crowds across an entire Test match.''

ICC Chief Executive Malcolm Speed said in a release in London that the incentives will be huge for the participating teams with a winner-takes-all $1 million prize expected to be on offer for the Test and $750,000 for the one-day series.

The Rest of World team would be picked by a special selection panel convened specifically for the purpose.

Speed said the problem for the selection committee would be an embarrassment of riches.

``Choosing between Rahul Dravid, Michael Vaughan, Sachin Tendulkar, Grame Smith, Jacques Kallis, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Stephen Fleming, Brian Lara, Virender Sehwag and Sourav Ganguly is hard enough, let alone having to then choose the all-rounder, the wicket-keeper and the bowling attack,'' Speed said. — PTI

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport