Ground Report

Cricket is in the process of undergoing rapid evolution- from Tests to One-days and recently to Twenty20. Now cricket is going to be played on a new high-Mount Everest. Three British teams of professional and amateur players are heading for the base camp of the world’s highest peak to play a tournament and set the record for taking cricket to new dizzy heights. The pitch of the tornament would be the frozen Gorak Shep Glacier at a height of 5,184 m (17,000 ft) above sea level, with strong winds and a temperature that can dip lower than minus 10 degrees Celsius. Organised by the Professional Cricketers’ Association, the matchless Everest matches will see some modifications. Each team has six players and the matches will be for five overs each. The known names in the teams include British county players Nick Compton, Graham Napier, Ryan Cummins and Steve Patterson. The unusual journey is being played to raise funds for cricketers who have fallen upon bad times. "We welcome the game, it brings positive publicity, but they should get an informed consent from the Govt officials before they can embark on this risky business." said Ang Chhiring Sherpa, president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, which is entrusted with promoting Nepal’s mountain tourism.