As part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav campaign to honour 75 years of India’s independence, the Ministry of Culture has issued the BCCI a proposal to host a match between India and the Rest of the World.
By the time they arrive in England on July 24 for the annual ICC conference, BCCI President Sourav Ganguly and Secretary Jay Shah will have discussed the proposal with other boards over the availability of their players.
According to a source with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, “Yes we are planning to do a match between India and the Rest of the World, but the date is not confirmed yet. We have just sent a proposal to BCCI regarding this and are waiting for approval from them. We want this match as part of the celebration of Azadi ka Amrit Mohtsav at the 75th anniversary of the country’s independence but nothing is finalised yet. But yes, we are on it.”
According to BCCI sources, the suggestion is still being reviewed at this time because signing overseas players involves several “operational and logistical elements.”
“We have received a proposal from the government to organise a cricket match between India XI and World XI on August 22. For the rest of the world squad, we would need at least 13-14 international players and their availability is something that we need to check on,” according to a source.
The Caribbean Premier League would also start at that time, he added, and English domestic cricket would be in full swing. The BCCI is determining whether players from other countries must receive financial compensation for taking part.
