Turning Wicket

Dressed up in elaborate head gear,the troupe of traditional dancers from Sri Lanka set the mood for the announcement of initiatives for the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards to be held from June 3-5 at Colombo,Sri Lanka. “This will be my first time in Sri Lanka and I am looking forward to some fun and celebration with the film fraternity,” said a dapperly dressed Anil Kapoor,who was in town to announce the charity cricket match between cricketers (both Indians and Sri Lankans) and actors during the awards. Accompanying him at the Maurya was Sri Lankan off-break spinner Muttiah Muralitharan,who preferred to let Kapoor do the talking.

The charity cricket for children match will be played on the second day of the annual extravaganza at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo. While the team of cricketers is yet to be disclosed,Kapoor slipped us a confirmed member of the squad. “Harbhajan Singh will be part of the team. But don’t let them know I told you that,” he chuckled. The team from Bollywood will be led by Shah Rukh Khan and will also have Salman Khan and Anil Kapoor,among others. While their will be no female participation during the match,actors Bipasha Basu and Sanjay Dutt will perform the official toss.

The charity match will help former child soldiers from the war-torn country and other displaced children in rehabilitation. “We are aiming to raise the maximum amount possible. Winning or losing is not the main idea behind the match,” said Sabbas Joseph,Director,Wizcraft International,event management company for the IIFA.