Dubai: Teams were announced for next year’s Icons of Cricket golf tournament at the Sofitel Hotel in Downtown Dubai on Tuesday.
The Ryder Cup-style event will take place at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club from October 19-21 next year and pitches Australia against the Rest of the World. Former Australia bowler Shane Warne and England batsman Michael Vaughan were unveiled as respective vice-captains.
Warne’s Australia side comprises of Mark Taylor, Michael Slater, Ricky Ponting, Damien Martyn, Dean Jones, Michael Hussey, Merv Hughes, Ian Healy, Greg Chappell, Allan Border and Greg Blewett.
Meanwhile, Vaughan announced Viv Richards, Kevin Pietersen, Brendon McCullum, Brian Lara, Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher, Darren Gough, Stephen Fleming, Kapil Dev, Ian Botham and Wasim Akram, for the Rest of the World team.
Both teams will be captained by two — as yet unconfirmed — professional golfers.
The concept follows on from the inaugural Icons Cup between Europe and America held at Dubai Creek in April, which featured former athletes from a range of sports, captained by golfers Darren Clarke and Fred Couples.
Thomas Brookes, founder and chief executive officer of event organisers Iconique, formerly known as Worldwide Sports and Entertainment Limited (WWSEL), said captains for the cricket version of the tournament would be just as big.
“I’m desperately excited to announce them as they are huge names but it’s been a challenge,” said Brookes. “Obviously I want an Australian captain so we have three or four big names to choose from and that’s under process.
“We’ve got the Rest of the World captain sorted. Both are on the same level as Fred and Darren, hopefully in the next two weeks we will announce on our website who they will be.”
Asked how the tournament would be improved from April’s event, which was poorly attended despite attracting big names like boxing’s Oscar de la Hoya and football’s Luis Figo, Brookes added: “We didn’t give ourselves enough time to prepare for April’s event, that’s why we are organising this one a year in advance to make sure the galleries are full. We’ll be working hard over the next 12 months to make sure the event is better publicised. This gives us enough time to engage with sponsors and spectators.”
Warne, who played in April’s event alongside fellow cricketers Lara and Dev, said he was delighted to be back on board.
“We are going to touch up the Rest of the World and give them a smashing. Straight from the first tee there will be plenty of sledging to get our competitive juices flowing,” he said.
Vaughan added: “When you retire from cricket you go in search of that buzz you used to get, that’s why we all take up golf. We all think we can play like Rory McIlroy and Jason Day and hit it miles and hole putts under pressure, but now we’ll find out.”
Brookes added that the main Icons Cup for all sport stars would alternate between the UAE and America with next year’s event being staged in Florida, while the Icons of Cricket Cup would alternate between the UAE and Australia, heading to Melbourne in 2017. He said there would also be an Icons of Football event held in Singapore starting in 2017.
