England get ready for cricket's richest prize

(GETTY IMAGES)

When Chris Gayle and Kevin Pietersen walk out for the coin toss next Saturday, their teams will be competing for the richest prize in cricketing history - $20m - to win the inaugural Stanford 20/20 for 20 event.

Bankrolled by Texan billionaire Allen Stanford, England and a West Indies all-star team called the Stanford Superstars will play a Twenty20 match with each winning player receiving $1m for about three hours work - and the losers getting nothing.

Lance Gibbs, the former West Indies offspinner who manages the Superstars, is confident his team will be in the money.

"I think we will win it. We should be able to beat England," Gibbs said. "I've never been on a team as a manager which has lost and I think that will continue."

After a period of uncertainty because of a legal challenge by a sponsor of the West Indies Cricket Board over branding and commercial rights, the event has generated huge spectator interest.

Between 500 and 700 million people worldwide are expected to watch the matches on TV, while ticket sales in Antigua have picked up after organizers slashed prices by almost half with fans being affected by flooding from Hurricane Omar last week.

The match at Stanford Cricket Ground in Antigua will be preceded by a series of Twenty20 games starting Saturday and also involving Trinidad & Tobago and Middlesex.

Gayle, who scored the first Twenty20 century at last year's World Cup in South Africa, will have ICC test cricketer of the year Shivnarine Chanderpaul and West Indies batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan as Stanford Superstar teammates.

Pietersen's side includes match-winning all-rounder Andrew Flintoff and fast bowler Steve Harmison, who have both recently returned from injury and loss of form to re-establish themselves in the England setup.

Former West Indies batsman Daren Ganga will captain Trinidad, which includes Windies wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin, while offspinner Shaun Udal will lead a Middlesex team that contains England opener Andrew Strauss and Indian spinner Murali Kartik.

Gibbs believes a good performance from his players could lead to them securing deals in the Indian Premier League.

"If they are successful in this game one or two of them might be getting IPL contracts," he said. "They are some youngsters who might not have got this type of exposure and it is for them to make use for it.

"The type of money they will be getting will be good for their family ... it will serve them in good stead."

The Superstars take on Trinidad, the regional 20/20 champions, in the first match of the Super Series. England, which arrived Friday, will oppose English champion Middlesex on Sunday.

Trinidad and Middlesex meet Monday in the Stanford Champions Cup with the winners receiving US$400,000. England plays Trinidad on Tuesday before the Superstars face Middlesex the next day as they complete their buildup toward the Nov. 1 bonanza.