Sachin savours Lara opportunity

Retired Indian cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar holds a training session for young players at the Singapore Cricket Club on Tuesday, Source: STEFANUS IAN / AFP

RETIRED Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar says he is savouring the opportunity to pair up with West Indies great Brian Lara at Lord's for an exhibition match marking the home of cricket's 200th anniversary.

Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) last month confirmed Lara would join a MCC XI captained by Tendulkar and also including Australia's Aaron Finch, India's Rahul Dravid and Pakistan offspinner Saeed Ajmal.

The side will play a Rest of the World XI captained by Shane Warne and featuring Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan and England's Kevin Pietersen in a 50-over match on July 5.

Tendulkar said he and Lara played together in 1994 in Toronto in the Sky Dome.

Sachin Tendulkar raises his bat after becoming test cricket's highest run scorer taking over from Brian Lara during day one of the second Australia v India cricket test in Mohali in 2008. Source: News Limited

"We played for the same team and we had a wonderful partnership. So I'm hoping for another one this time," he told reporters on Tuesday at the Singapore Cricket Club.

Tendulkar is in the city-state for a promotional tour.

"It's always been a joy to play against him. I loved watching Brian scoring runs against other nations - not India," Tendulkar said.

Tendulkar, who held a masterclass for young cricketers on Tuesday, said it was surely possible for cricket minnows Singapore to host top events.

The wealthy city-state has a rising number of Indian expatriates and, later in June, will open a new national stadium that can be converted into a 35,000-seat cricket arena.

"I don't see any reason why not... whenever we played here in Singapore, the response was really good," said Tendulkar, 41, who retired last year as the world's leading batsman in Test and one-day cricket.

Brian Lara lets loose against the Chairmans XI in Perth in 2000. Source: News Limited

"As a cricketer, I feel proud that various nations are taking initiatives in constructing state-of-the-art stadiums and making sure that every measure is taken to globalise the game," he said. Tendulkar also said investigations by the International Cricket Council (ICC) into corruption were crucial.

"I think the concerned people are taking really important steps because it is critical for the game to make sure that the spectators ... watch a fair competition," he said.

ICC chief executive Dave Richardson said last month an inquiry into a match and spot-fixing scandal which rocked world cricket was entering its final stages.

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