ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Four Pakistani star cricketers including Wasim Akram, Shoaib Akhtar, Saqlain Mushtaq and Moin Khan will be part of the three-match T20 series, featuring retired players from the Test nations and being organized in the United States in November 2015.
The first match of the series titled “Cricket All-Stars Series 2015” will be played at the City Field in New York on November 7, second at Minute Maid Park in Houston on November 11 whereas the third T20 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on November 14.
Two teams, whose captain will be Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne, will feature 29 retired cricketers mostly legends of the game from various Test nations.
Former Pakistan Captain and all-time best left arm bowler Wasim Akram and legendary off spinner Saqlain Mushtaq have been included in “Sachin’s Blasters” whereas the fastest bowler of all time Shoaib Akhter and former Pakistani wicketkeeper batsman Moin Khan will play for “Warne’s Warriors”.
I’m so happy after this, #ThankYouSachin pic.twitter.com/UYRGrNYDJZ
— Shoaib Akhtar (@ShoaibAkhtar42) November 6, 2015
The players were picked for two sides in a random draw conducted in New York’s Times Square on Thursday while Shoaib Akhtar’s status was decided by a coin flip.
Here are the official #CricketAllStars teams after our draw today. For more info visit https://t.co/9gJToGvTKn pic.twitter.com/PyHKE88ARi
— Cricket All Stars (@T20AllStars) November 5, 2015
For the event which is aimed at to promote cricket in the United States, 4 former players have been called in from India, 5 from Australia, 5 from South Africa, 2 from England, 4 from West Indies, 3 from Sri Lanka, 4 from Pakistan and 1 from New Zealand.
In Sachin’s Blasters, players other than Shoaib and Moin have been included namely Sachin Tendulkar (Captain), VVS Laxman, Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag, Brian Lara, Mahela Jayawardene, Carl Hooper, Lance Klusener, Shaun Pollock, Graeme Swann, Glenn McGrath, Muttiah Muralitharan and Curtly Ambrose
In Warne’s Warriors, Shane Warne (Captain), Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting, Michael Vaughan, Jacques Kallis, Kumar Sangakkara, Andrew Symonds, Jonty Rhodes, Daniel Vettori, Courtney Walsh, Allan Donald and Ajit Agarkar have been included besides Wasim and Saqlain.