International Cricket Council (ICC [Images]) chief executive Malcolm Speed [Images] told a news conference in Sydney on Saturday that a team made up of the best players from Asia would play an invitational world eleven.

The first match will be held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on January 10 with the second game to be held on the Asian subcontinent in either February or March.

Both matches will be broadcast live around the cricketing world with all proceeds going to World Vision. The Australian broadcaster will also run a telethon to raise additional funds for the relief effort.

"Everyone in the cricket world wants to assist in putting these matches together and doing what we can," Speed said. "Much of the cricket world has a border around the Indian Ocean...so there is a great willingness to contribute to the aid effort."

The world side will be selected by former Australia captain Steve Waugh and ex-New Zealand skipper Richard Hadlee and will be announced on Sunday. The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) will choose its side on Monday.

"Our region has been devastated and the Asian Cricket Council has been seeking a way to use cricket to assist people to recover from this tragedy," ACC president Jagmohan Dalmiya said in a statement.

"I believe that these matches will be able to generate millions of dollars to be used to help rebuild people's lives."

UNANIMOUS SUPPORT

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International Cricketers Association boss Tim May said players from England [Images] and South Africa would not be available for the opening match because it coincides with their Test series but they would be included in the second game when the date and venue is decided.

"It's important that we get the best players for both teams," May said.

"The support from the players has been unanimous so far, everyone wants to help."

Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said it had been difficult arranging the match at such short notice but organisers were determined to make it work.

"Normally we have almost a year to plan big matches...so there were lots of obstacles," Sutherland said.

"It's not ideal but it's just too important, too big a cause to let small obstacles get in the way of it."