Indo-Pak XI faces the world

Efforts are on to bring India and Pakistan cricketers, including batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and speedster Shoaib Akthar, in one team against a Rest of the World XI for four one-day ties to be played in Mumbai, Kolkata, England and Lahore later this year or early next year.

8216;8216;Though the players including Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting and wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist, who will turn out for the Rest of the World, have agreed to play, we are still to get permission from the ICC and respective cricket boards,8217;8217; the founder of the company managing the event Sanjay Jha told reporters here today.

8216;8216;We are confident that the respective boards will give the green signal as we want to have the matches either in September this year after the Champions Trophy or January next when the players will be free from their commitments to their respective countries,8217;8217; Jha added.

Incidently, the Indian team will be busy right till September 25 once they leave for the August 21-28 tri-series in Holland. 8216;8216;The matches will be jointly organised by the Nine Yards Sports and Entertainment and the Citizens Council for the Better Tomorrow CCBT and would be called the Sadbhavana cricket series,8217;8217; Jha said.