Relief activity for the October 2005 earthquake victims will get fresh impetus when India and Pakistan play a part fundraiser Friendship Series in Abu Dhabi on April 18 and 19 at the Zayed Stadium.
Both matches are recognized by the International Cricket Council and will be counted as official ODIs.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India also announced the 'Tenders for Stadium Ground Rights' for the series, which include all in-stadium branding and on air promotions.
The minimum bid for the Ground Rights tender package is US $3 million and participation is open to any company or agency with a net worth of US $5 million.
Sealed bid entries will be accepted till 4:30 pm on March 31, 2006, in Mumbai at the CCI office.
The sealed bids will be opened at 5:00 pm the same day.
The ground rights sponsorship entails an exclusive sponsorship package, offering logos on all tickets, entry gates, ground logos, stumps etc. Further, the package includes on-air event promotions, including title sponsors name and mentions during flash interviews and on the scorecards.
"This is a unique opportunity for brands to not only reach out to the Indian communities overseas but also promote their brand in a unique manner where for the first time all rights are being offered to a single company," said Lalit Modi, chairman marketing sub-committee and BCCI vice-president, in a statement.
All revenues from Day 1 of the series, after meeting basic costs, will be donated to the earthquake relief funds of the two countries. 75% of the charitable donation will go to the President's Earthquake Relief Fund in Pakistan and 25% to the Kashmir Earthquake Relief Fund in India.
In an added noble gesture, players from both teams have decided to donate their match fees for Day 1 to this worthy cause.
"Cricket is one of the most popular games in Asia and helping out people affected by this earthquake through the game is an honour for us. The cricket Boards of Pakistan and Abu Dhabi, and players from the Indian and Pakistani teams have shown great spirit in formulating this series and we are grateful to them for their interest. We are certain this will be a huge success," added Modi.
Tenders for media rights for the matches are also likely to be announced soon, the statement added.
