Lara, Sarwan for New York benefit match

BRIDGETOWN: West Indies cricket captain Brian Lara and vice-captain Ramnaresh Sarwan will play in a celebrity benefit in New York to raise money for a former Barbados player, organisers said yesterday.

The pair, along with fast bowler Corey Collymore, will play the August 23 match in Brooklyn as part of a year of activities to raise funds for former spin bowler Lawrence Maxwell, who the Barbados Cricket Association says contributed to the region’s game though he was never selected for the West Indies team. Maxwell is the third player chosen by the association for the reward, which is given to players who never played at the international level where pay is much higher. The two previously  recognised players were spinners Winston Reid and George Linton.

Maxwell played for Barbados between 1969 and 1979 and managed the Caribbean country’s club in 1995 and 1996. Along with the West Indies star trio, the celebrity match will feature West Indies legends Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Everton Weekes, Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, and Joel Garner,  organisers said. Former Barbados players and US team members living in New York are also expected to play.  Other benefit matches are scheduled to take place in Miami and California in October.