Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi and Saeed Ajmal have joined several other leading international cricketers in being confirmed for this year’s Lord’s bicentenary match, it was announced yesterday.
Bangladesh batsman Tamim Iqbal will also take part in the July 5 fixture which celebrates the 200th anniversary of the current Lord’s ground in north-west London.
The match will be between Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), which owns Lord’s, and a Rest of the World XI.
The MCC XI will be captained by India hero Sachin Tendulkar while the Rest of the World side will be led by Australia great Shane Warne.
“Lord’s is always a wonderful place to play cricket and I’m really looking forward to going back there,” said Afridi in a MCC statement. “It’s going to be great to be involved in the Lord’s Bicentenary celebrations and I’d like to thank MCC for inviting me to take part in the game.
“There are plenty of great players on the team sheet for this match and I can’t wait to share a pitch with them again – especially in such an amazing setting.”
MCC president Mike Gatting, the former England captain, added: “The latest names to be confirmed for this match make it even more of an exciting prospect.”
Australia wicket-keeping great Adam Gilchrist, India’s Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh, West Indies’ mainstay Shivnarine Chanderpaul and New Zealand left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori are all due to play in the match as well.
