Plan B Forum

A US-based all-star Twenty20 tournament featuring cricketing greats Sachin Tendulkar, Shane Warne and Brian Lara has reportedly been given the blessing of the International Cricket Council.




The one-off series, planned to begin in November this year, would feature three matches played on drop-in pitches at the most celebrated baseball stadiums in the world: Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Yankee Stadium in New York and Wrigley Field in Chicago.

Other players linked to the concept are Adam Gilchrist, Jacques Kallis, Rahul Dravid, Wasim Akram and Glenn McGrath.

The Times of India reported that clearance from the ICC had come after talks with Tendulkar and Warne. It said the agreement was vital because many of the retired players said to be keen on taking part were already employed by the world governing body in some capacity and therefore required its permission to play.

"It is a one-off event in November and the ICC doesn't have a problem with that," the Times quoted a source as saying. "It has spelt out a few conditions to Tendulkar and Warne and they have agreed to abide by them."

Several in the cricket fraternity have long seen the US as a potentially enormous growth base for the game, with large expatriate communities from cricket-playing nations living across the country. There have also been suggestions about linking cricket clubs with Major League Baseball clubs.
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The one-off series, planned to begin in November this year, would feature three matches played on drop-in pitches at the most celebrated baseball stadiums in the world: Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, ... "