World record holder cricketer Brian Lara (C) poses for a photo with Miss Universe 1977 Janelle Penny Commissiong-Chow (L) and Miss World 1986 Giselle La Ronde-West during a luncheon hosted by Trinidad and Tobago's Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar for Canada's Governor-General David Johnston, at a diplomatic centre in the capital Port of Spain May 1, 2012. Johnston and his wife Sharon are on a state visit to Trinidad and Tobago.ANDREA DE SILVA/Reuters
One of the great historic names of cricket, Brian Lara of Trinidad and Tobago, will highlight the International XI side when Torontonians get a taste of the sport imperial England exported at Rogers Centre on Saturday.
The presence of the 43-year-old Lara – the holder of the highest scores in Test and first-class cricket – in the International lineup, along with famed South African wicket-keeper Mark Boucher and Canadian national team members Ashish Bagai and Rizwan Cheema helps take away some of the sting of the Pakistan Cricket Board denying "no objection" status to six senior players who were expected to be the backbone of the Asia XI squad in the all-star Twenty20 match.
"The only Pakistani player coming right now is Saqlain Mushtaq," said Syed Saad Karim, senior vice-president of operations for organizer Kat Rose Inc. Also on the Asian side is thick-armed Sri Lankan all-rounder Sanath Jayasuriya.
The Asian side was expected to comprise Pakistani captain Mishbah-ul-Haq, ex-captain Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Hafeez, Saeed Ajmal, Umar Akmal and Hammad Azam. Organizers got verbal agreements from players and arranged electronic visas, but the Pakistani board said it needed formal written requests.
A training camp for a Pakistan-Sri Lanka series also starts Saturday.
"We have had some challenges in staging the event, but we are sure everyone will enjoy this spectacle of cricket," Cricket Canada president Ravin Moorthy said.