Joint India-Pakistan team to play cricket for peace

Even as tentative diplomatic negotiations flower between India and Pakistan, the Sahara group is outlining an exhibition match on August 15, where a joint India-Pakistan team will battle a Rest of the World XI for the "Peace Cup".

Abhijit Sarkar, head of communications of the Sahara Group, told the Times News Network that "our full support lies behind the project which would promote the cause of global peace through cricket. Both the sponsors and event managers are now eagerly waiting for a no-objection from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the six players who have been shortlisted for the event."

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) too must approve the match, since an English ground is the planned venue. The proceeds of the game would aid the widows of soldiers who died during the Kargil war.

A spokesman for the Percept Group, who came up with the concept, said that Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag, Mohammad Kaif, Zaheer Khan and Parthiv Patel had "informally confirmed" their participation. From Pakistan, the organisers will look to seniors like Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Moin Khan, who may not feature in the national team at the time.

"Regarding the Rest of the World team," the spokesman added, "we have been assured of the availability of Ricky Ponting, Carl Hooper and Andy Flower - all of whom will be in England around that time."