Three Sri Lanka cricket stars will feature in the upcoming Ice Cricket Challenge in the Swiss Alps at the world famous and glamorous St. Mortiz.
Former captains Mahela Jayawardene and Tillakarathne Dilshan along with slinger Lasith Malinga will play for Virender Sehwag’s Diamond XI who will take on Shahid Afridi’s Royals XI in two T20 games on the 8th and 9th February.
Sehwag and Afridi, undeniably two of the biggest entertainers the game has seen, will be leading two squads comprising legends of the game.
This is not the first time that cricket on ice has been played in the picturesque St. Moritz. The game has been played since 1988 on St. Moritz frozen lake.
For those wondering how a cricket game is possible on the lake, the water body freezes into a thick layer of ice which is also covered by the soft falling snow which enables the lake to sustain more than 200 tons of weight.
Interestingly, the ‘cricket pitch’ consists of an artificial turf carpet laid out on the perfectly laid out snowfield. Players will use the traditional cricketing gear including the red-ball but will wear sports shoes instead of spikes. During the day, the weather is expected to be bright and sunny but the temperatures can dip to as low as – 20 degrees Celsius at night.
“With the approval from International Cricket Council (ICC), the St Moritz Ice Cricket has the potential to become a flagship property for the discerning patrons of the game all over the globe.” Vijay Singh, CEO, VJ Sports said in a recent press conference in India to announce the event.
Virender Sehwag’s Diamonds XI squad: Virender Sehwag (India), Zaheer Khan (India), Mohammad Kaif (India), Ajit Agarkar (India), Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka), Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka), Tillakaratne Dilshan (Sri Lanka), Michael Hussey (Australia), Andrew Symonds (Australia), Mithun Manhas (India), Ramesh Powar (India), Rohan Jain (Switzerland),
Shahid Afridi’s Royals XI squad: Shahid Afridi (Pakistan), Shoaib Akhtar (Pakistan), Abdul Razzak (Pakistan), Jacques Kallis (South Africa), Graeme Smith (South Africa), Daniel Vettori (New Zealand), Nathan McCullum (New Zealand), Grant Elliott (New Zealand), Monty Panesar (England), Owais Shah (England), Matt Prior (England), Aidan Andrews (Switzerland)
Goosebumps are guaranteed if you see the video. Turn the volume up!
We’re just one day away from this thrilling event!
Describe your feeling in one sentence. Best comments will be rewarded with our exclusive Ice Cricket Ball.#Excitement #Event #Staytuned #livematch #Cricket pic.twitter.com/cCdbSWP05Q— Ice Cricket (@IceCricketCH) February 7, 2018
