–Serena Williams, Sir Garfield Sobers to do coin toss
South Africa’s Herschelle Gibbs has become a welcome boost to Suth Africa’s side to contest the CLOBI Cup International Masters Cricket Tournament.
The tournament, which has attracted some of the biggest names in the sport, gets cracking in Barbados on November 27.
Gibbs, the explosive right-handed batsmen, celebrated his 35th birthday in February which qualifies him to participate in the over-35s showdown between the West Indies, England, Sri Lanka and South Africa.
The seven-night, Twenty20 extravaganza, will see the winner taking home the US$50,000, winner-take-all prize money.
Gibbs, a veteran of 245 one-day internationals and 90 Tests, represented South Africa in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Champions Trophy tournament in September.
He was also part of South Africa’s team in the ICC Twenty20 World Championships in England in June.
The South Africa side will be managed by former left-handed batting great Graeme Pollock.
Former Barbados and West Indies all-rounder Sir Garry Sobers will also grace the event, teaming up with another “legend in the making” in another sport to open the tournament.
The 73-year-old Sobers, acknowledged as the greatest all-round cricketer of all time, and current world number one in women’s tennis, Serena Williams, a 11-time Grand Slam winner at age 28, will deliver the ceremonial coin toss to start the event.
West Indies, with five former captains in their line-up, open the CLOBI Cup against Sri Lanka on November 27.
The fixtures:
November 27 – Opening ceremony at 6:30 p.m. & West Indies v Sri Lanka at 7:30 p.m.
November 28 – South Africa v Sri Lanka at 7 p.m.
November 30 – West Indies v England at 7 p.m.
December 2 – West Indies v South Africa
December 3 – England v Sri Lanka
December 4 – England v South Africa
December 5 – CLOBI Cup Final
The squads:
West Indies: Adrian Griffith (player/manager), Sir Vivian Richards, Gordon Greenidge, Courtney Walsh, Collis King, Courtney Browne, Carl Hooper, Stuart Williams, Rawl Lewis, Nehemiah Perry, Vasbert Drakes, Ian Bradshaw, Jimmy Adams.
England: Gladstone Small (player/manager), Darren Gough (captain), Graeme Hick, Graham Thorpe, Devon Malcolm, Phil DeFreitas, Dominic Cork, Neil Fairbrother, Dean Headley, Paul Nixon, Craig White, Mark Alleyne, Mark Ramprakash, John Emburey.
South Africa: Graeme Pollock (manager), Herschelle Gibbs, Dale Benkenstein, Dave Callaghan, Pat Symcox, Fanie de Villiers, Meyrick Pringle, Lance Klusener, Nicky Boje, Steve Jack, Neil Johnson, Alan Dawson, John Commins, Adrian Kuiper.
Sri Lanka: Marvan Atapattu (captain), Russel Arnold, Arjuna Ranatunga, Asanka Gurusinha, Romesh Kaluwitharana, Athula Samarasekera, Kumar Dharmasena, Hashan Tillekeratne, Ruwan Kalpage, Champaka Ramanayake, Eric Upashantha, Indika de Seram, Dulip Samaraweera, Sanjay Khuller (manager).
