The International Cricket Council (ICC) will donate revenue from the Super Series Test match between Australia and the World XI to the Red Cross relief effort for the earthquake disaster in Pakistan instead of holding a separate charity match.
Pakistan fast-bowler Shoaib Akhtar, in Australia for the Super Series, had asked the ICC to host a charity match similar to the tsunami benefit in Melbourne in January, which pitted Australia against an International XI and raised millions of dollars.
ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed told a news conference on Wednesday that a donation equivalent to the revenue from the second day of the Test match, plus telephone and online appeals and collections at the Sydney Cricket Ground, is the most effective way of helping.
”The disaster in Pakistan and Asia has struck in cricket countries. The ICC will donate $500 000 to the Red Cross appeal and will dedicate the Saturday of the Test match to the appeal,” Speed said. ”We believe that’s the best way cricket can show its remorse; can show to the people in the countries affected that we’re thinking of them.”
Speed said the ICC investigated staging a charity match, but ”we think the approach we’re taking is a more effective way of addressing the issue and will produce better results for the Red Cross appeal”.
”I spoke to Shoaib about that and he’s happy and appreciative of the approach we’ve taken.”
Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, also in Sydney for the World XI, expects the death toll to mount when rescuers reach remote areas that so far haven’t been accessible.
”It’s a big tragedy,” said Inzamam. ”About 35 000 to 40 000 is the official toll, but my personal opinion is that it will be more. The remote areas, they haven’t reached them, they don’t know how many people are gone. There’s no food, nothing … bad conditions and millions of people are affected.”
He said the Pakistan international cricketers will donate 25% of their match fees to the appeal from their upcoming series against England.
The 7,6-magnitude quake on Saturday demolished whole communities, mostly in the Himalayan region of Kashmir, and aid has not reached many areas.
The Pakistani government’s official death toll is about 23 000 people, but a senior army official involved in the rescue operations said the toll is between 35 000 and 40 000 people.
India said more than 1 400 people died in the part of Kashmir that it controls. — Sapa-AP