Alok Kapali is the only Bangladeshi cricketer in the 14-man squad chosen for the first match to be played in Melbourne on January 10. There are six Indians, five Sri Lankans and two Pakistanis in the side. Top world stars like Sachin Tendulkar, Muttiah Muralitharan and Shoaib Akhtar are all expected to turn up for the game at the Melbourne Cricket Stadium.

The highly talented Kapali is on the verge of a recall to the Bangladesh team following some impressive performances with the bat for his club Victoria in the Dhaka Premier Division league so far.

A second charity fixture between the same teams will be held either in India or Sri Lanka in March but with a different set of players.

The Cricket world unites for a noble cause and all the funds raised from the 'Cricket Aid' will go to the relief effort for the distressed," said Asian Cricket Council's CEO Syed Ashraful Haque at a press conference at the Hotel Sonargaon yesterday.

"As Sri Lanka and India have been directly affected by the quake, we have decided to hold the second match in one of the two countries," Ashraful added.

Earlier, chief cricket selectors of the four Test playing countries of the sub-continent - Asantha de Mel (Sri Lanka), Kiran More (India), Wasim Bari (Pakistan) and Faruque Ahmed (Bangladesh) had picked the Asian side. Bari was the only selector not present in Dhaka but gave his opinion on phone.

"We wanted to pick more players from Bangladesh but as we are engaged in a very important series against Zimbabwe, we could not release the top players," Faruque explained when asked why only one Bangladeshi was in the side.

"It will evoke great interest and we have selected the best possible team with the players available. A number of Pakistani cricketers and India's Irfan Pathan were unavailable due to injury," said former Indian wicket-keeper More.

"We are glad to be a part of this. Sri Lanka has been heavily affected and has the highest rate of deaths after Indonesia," De Mel said.

"The selectors feel that this side is truly worthy of being chosen to represent Asia against the ICC World XI. These cricketers have given their whole-hearted support to the fund raising series and we are most appreciative of that," said Ashraful, who has been chosen as manager of the Asian XI.

Pakistan's coach Bob Woolmer and physio Darryn Lifson, who are now in Australia on tour will perform the same responsibilities with the Asian XI.

Ashraful, a former general secretary of Bangladesh Cricket Board added that all the concerned parties were eager to donate for the noble cause.

"The TV channels who will telecast the matches world over, have agreed to give the revenues earned from the Cricket Aid series to the relief fund. Channel 9 has the official broadcast rights. It is expected that Australian flag carrier Qantas will fly the Asian players to Melbourne," Ashraful said.

"The title sponsors have not been decided yet but it is expected that we will have two different sponsors. We are expecting to raise a substantial amount from the two games but right now we are not in a position to say how much it could be as most of the deals are in process. All I can say is that it will be quite a few million dollars."

Ashraful also said that the amount raised form the Melbourne day-nighter will be funnelled through World Vision, which is involved in the relief works directly.

"We will give the money from the second match through another international organisation.

"This is the first time ICC and the ACC have become directly involved for such a cause and we felt that as all the countries affected are full or associate members of the two organisations, we should get together and show our solidarity. We are also thinking of giving the matches full one-day international status," said Ashraful.

SQUADS
Asian XI
Sourav Ganguly (captain), Sanath Jayasuriya, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Marvan Atapattu, Virender Sehwag, Yousuf Youhana, Alok Kapali, Kumara Sangakkara, Muttiah Muralitharan, Shoaib Akhtar, Chaminda Vaas, Anil Kumble and Zaheer Khan.

REST OF THE WORLD
Ricky Ponting (captain, Australia), Matthew Hayden (Australia), Adam Gilchrist (Australia), Stephen Fleming (New Zealand), Brian Lara (West Indies), Chris Gayle (West Indies), Chris Cairns (New Zealand), Shane Warne (Australia), Glenn McGrath (Australia), Dwayne Bravo (West Indies), Darren Gough (England), Daniel Vettori (New Zealand) (12th man to be named).

Coach and manager: Steve Waugh (Australia).