MCC to make history with sponsorship of Pakistan-Australia matches

The MCC has announced it will sponsor international cricket for the first time in its 223-year history. Both the Twenty20 and the Test series between Pakistan and Australia being held in England this summer will be sponsored by the MCC's Spirit of Cricket initiative. The move is part of a drive from the MCC to stage more neutral matches, an ambition acknowledged by the installation of a "neutral" honours board in the dressing room. The irony of uniting Pakistani and English cricket under the banner of the Spirit of Cricket at a time when players from both countries have been accused of involvement in illegal betting on county cricket was not lost on the assembled press. The Pakistan Cricket Board chairman refused to comment on the allegations against the Test player Danish Kaneria, insisting that he had been on a flight from Kuwait and had not yet had time to digest the weekend's news. This morning Kaneria threatened to sue the Sun for accusing him of involvement in the spot-fixing scandal which is being investigated by Essex police. The partnership between the MCC and the PCB is, however, positive news for the sport. Lord's will host the first Test between Australia and Pakistan, which starts on 13 July. The second match will be played at Headingley while the two Twenty20 fixtures will take place at Edgbaston. The sponsorship is not for profit, but is designed to increase awareness of the Spirit of Cricket project and "promote fair, competitive and enjoyable cricket at all levels". "MCC is committed to the health of Test cricket, and by sponsoring the series and hosting the first Test, the club is supporting Pakistani cricket at a time when the country's Test calendar has been decimated," the chief executive, Keith Bradshaw, said. "We often speak about Tests being the pinnacle of the game and we're now acting to back up those words." The new honours board already contains two names, those of Charles Kellaway and Warren Bardsley, who scored centuries for Australia against South Africa at the last neutral Test played at Lord's in the triangular series of 1912. "I hope it won't be another 100 years before we stage our next neutral Test," Bradshaw said.