The Peninsula
Twelve selected players from Qatar will get a chance to brush shoulders with cricket legends led by Brain Lara at the Qatar Celebrity Cricket League (QCCL) T20 Match on December 20, it was announced yesterday.
Legends from Australia, West Indies, England, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, and New Zealand will play the T20 match.
The T20 match will be between Team Hope and Team Challengers and each team will consist of six international legends and six locally selected players.
Qatar Cricket Association (QCA) President, Yousef Jeham Al Kuwari addressing a press conference in the presence of QMission Founder & CEO Sheikha Sara Nasser A Al Thani said that besides the West Indian great 15 other well-known players of the game from 11 countries will take part in the event.
“To promote social awareness of the capabilities and contributions of the differently-able people in the society, legends of cricket from 11 countries will fly to Qatar and play a one-off friendly T20 cricket match on December 20,” said Al Kuwari.
QCCL is supported by the Qatar Cricket Association, informed organisers.
Along with Lara, other players who will be seen in action event include South Africa’s Jacques Kallis, and New Zealand’s Daniel Vettori, India’s Harbajan Singh and Mohamed Kaif, Rana Naveed, Moin Khan, Imran Nazir, and Abdul Razzak (all of Pakistan), Mohammad Ashraful and Shariar Nafees of Bangladesh.
Also coming to Doha is the Oman duo of Adnan Ilyas and Amir Ali along with Sri Lanka’s Chamara Kapugedera and Tillakaratne Dilshan
Former Kenyan international Tom Tiklo and now a Development Director - Board of Control, Cricket Kenya will be one of the star attractions of the event.
Also taking part in the match will be, former Australian all-rounder-turned-coach Tom Moody but as a commentator. He along with former captain of England women team Charlotte Edwards will be the two-star commentators of the match, organisers informed.
“QMission, an events company, will be hosting this event as part of its corporate social responsibility and will show their appreciation to the blue-collar workers community who have been supporting the growth in Qatar over the past many years,” said Sheikha Sara.
“A sports event like cricket, which is close to the heart of this community will be an amazing event, bringing them closer to cricket legends and giving them a chance to play the game with such great sportsmen,” she added.
The QCCL will be given the budding cricketers from Qatar an opportunity to play with their favourite legends said the QCA chief.
“The trails for the bowlers took place on December 6 while for the batsman the trails will take place on December 13 from 7am to 11:30am and from 2pm to 8pm at the Bravo Cricket Academy, Ezdan Oasis, Al Wukair,” said Christopher Raja, a member of the organising team.