Official status for charity match

The International Cricket Council (ICC) said the World Cricket Tsunami Appeal matches will have official One-Day International status.

ICC President Ehsan Mani said the decision was confirmed by a vote of the ICC Executive Board because of the exceptional nature of the matches in which players from all ICC Full Member countries are available to play.

"The ICC Board is of the view that due to the extraordinary circumstances that have brought about these two matches an exception to the existing rules should be made," Mani said in a statement released in London on Friday.

"This decision applies only to these two matches and does not change the status of other one-day matches from the past or in the future."

In the first of the two appeal games, ICC XI will take on the Asian XI at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Monday while the second match would be held in Asia some time next month.

The proceeds from the match will be donated to the global relief and development organisation World Vision, it said.

The ICC said the Asian XI would appear in green uniforms with gold trim during the day-nighter, while the Rest of the World would wear navy blue with white stripes.

South African Rudi Koertzen and New Zealand's Billy Bowden would be the on-field umpires, with England's Chris Broad acting as match referee.

Bob Parry would be the Tv umpire, it said, adding all the umpires have waived their match fees for the two-ties.