England fast bowler Matthew Hoggard has no intention of pulling on his pads and walking out to bat at this weekend’s Hong Kong Cricket Sixes.
For the Yorkshire pace ace is part of an All-Stars team that boasts the best batting line-up in the history of the tournament.
Leading the way will be the world’s highest ranked batsman, Shivnarine Chanderpaul of the West Indies.
Also featuring for the All-Stars will be the great Australian opener Justin Langer, Sri Lankan legend Sanath Jayasuriya, former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming and big-hitting Twenty20 king Tyron Henderson from South Africa.
The awesome line-up means cricket fans can expect plenty of huge hits when the Sixes is staged at the Kowloon Cricket Club on Saturday and Sunday (8-9 November).
“If the ground is small enough you might see me hit a couple of sixes,” laughed Hoggard. “But I’ve got no intention of batting because we have so many great batsmen. If I have to go in, then we’re in trouble!”
The England star expects all the bowlers to come in for some rough treatment at the showpiece tournament.
“If you’re going to play sixes, don’t be a bowler!” he advised. “Obviously, there are a lot of balls that are going to be disappearing into the crowd, put it’s great for the spectators and it’s a fantastic way to help make cricket popular.
“If you can sell out a ground with people watching cricket then that has to be a good thing for the game. Everyone has a great time and if they have a great time, then they’ll come back.”
The All-Stars – who also have Chaminda Vaas, Sri Lanka’s greatest fast bowler, in their seven-man squad – will start as favourites in the eight-team tournament.
And captain Fleming is hoping his new teammates play as well as they did when he faced them during his illustrious 111-test career.
“If they don’t bowl like they used to bowl to me, or bat the way they used to bat when I was fielding against them, I’ll be disappointed,” he said.
“Sanath Jayasuriya haunted me when I was playing and Chaminda Vaas used to get me out with his eyes shut, so if we don’t get wickets and runs then I’ll be upset!”
The All-Stars have been drawn in the Sobers group alongside defending champions Sri Lanka, Australia and hosts Hong Kong.
The Bradman Group will be contested by India, Pakistan, England and 2006 Sixes champions South Africa.
Gates will open at 8am on both days of the tournament and a small number of tickets will be on sale on Saturday morning.
The Hong Kong Cricket Sixes is fully sanctioned by the International Cricket Council and is the sport's longest-running, best-established and most high-profile sixes tournament.
Players who have taken part over the past 16 years include Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, Steve and Mark Waugh, Viv Richards, Andrew Flintoff, Adam Gilchrist and Wasim Akram.
The tournament is organised and promoted by the Hong Kong Cricket Association’s commercial arm, China Cricket International Limited.
The HKCA’s proceeds from the Sixes will be ploughed directly back into cricket development in Hong Kong.
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