A team of BLACKCAPS legends will make their way to the beautiful island of Bermuda to take in the inaugural 20-20 World Cricket Classic.
The Kiwis will take on South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, West Indies, Sri Lanka, India, England and the host team, Bermuda as over 100 of the game’s biggest names face off.
Former BLACKCAPS spinner Dipak Patel is leading a team composed of New Zealand legends from the 1980s, 1990s and current veteran stars take on greats such as Joel Garner, Ian Healy and Gary Kirsten in the 10-day extravaganza.
Patel said: “It was appealing to catch up and renew the camaraderie after playing against each other over the years.
“I’m sure they’ll be a few jokes before the games, but once we get on the pitch it’ll get very competitive.
“I tried to get older players as well as those who have just recently finished playing, or those still in the game. I wanted a good mix, right across the ages. All the guys play at least once or twice a year.”
And the veteran of three World Cups is confident the tournament will prove a success.
“The whole purpose is to make it an annual affair,” he added. “And as long as the sponsors are happy with it I’m sure they’d want it to continue.”
Classic New Zealand starts its campaign against Sri Lanka on April 24 and will aim to reach the final, scheduled for April 29. All matches take place at the island’s National Sports Centre.
Classic New Zealand squad: Dipak Patel (Manager), Phil Horne, Mark Douglas, Trevor Franklin, Stu Gillespie, Gavin Larsen, Simon Doull, Grant Bradburn, Danny Morrison, Chris Harris, Murphy Su’a, Tony Blain, Mark Haslam.
