Sachin and Warne confirm participation for T20 all-star series

Melbourne, October 6- Cricketing legends Shane Warne and Sachin Tendulkar have confirmed that they will headline a Twenty20 all-star series in the United States next month, featuring a star-studded line-up of former international players.

The one-off event will include three matches in New York, Houston and Los Angeles and will feature greats of the game including Ricky Ponting, Brian Lara, Muttiah Muralitharan, Wasim Akram, Jonty Rhodes and Michael Vaughan. 

Tendulkar and Warne will each captain a team for the Cricket All-Stars tournament, which will kick off on November 7 in New York, reported cricket.com.au on Tuesday.

The games are set to be played on drop-in pitches at three baseball stadiums -- Citi Field (New York), Minute Maid Park (Houston) and Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles).

"Americans are so passionate about sports, and I think there's a huge potential for cricket to take off," Tendulkar said. 

"We're also planning some other events and festivities in each city so we can reach as many fans as possible. It would be great some day to see cricket bats right alongside the baseball bats, basketballs and soccer balls in America."

Warne said the Twenty20 format would appeal to a new audience of future cricket fans. "We've signed all the top players you'd ever want to see," the legendary leg-spinner said.

"I'm excited for cricket fans in the United States to be able to see these amazing players for the first time."

Last month, the International Cricket Council (ICC) gave the thumbs up to the all-stars league. A portion of the earnings from the three T20 matches will go to the ICC to help develop the game in the country.

(IANS)