Shane Warne's plan for 'Harlem Globetrotters' receives preliminary blessings from ICC

Melbourne: International Cricket Council (ICC) has given preliminary blessings to Shane Warne's proposal of leading 'Harlem Globetrotters' of cricket on a tour to USA.

Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar and the legendary spinner have been planning to form a pool of retired cricket superstars and take the game to the parts of the world where it lacks popularity.

ICC chief executive David Richardson said that the detail was for them to explain, but essentially they were talking about exhibition matches involving iconic players similar to the Harlem Globetrotters, News.com.au reported.

He also said that they were not talking about a tournament or a league, but exhibition matches.

Richardson said the timing of Warne's proposal was perfect given the ICC were currently examining ways of increasing its presence in the USA.

There are reports that Tendulkar and Warne are offering contracts worth more than 25,000 dollars a match to almost 30 international cricketers who have retired or have stopped playing the game altogether, to play in the Cricket All Stars League.

It has also been said that the likes of Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist, Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee,Michael Vaughan, Andrew Flintoff and Jacques Kallis have been contacted to take part.

Under the proposal put forward by Warne and Tendulkar, exhibition matches would be played across US, with New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Las Vegas sighted as potential locations