Sunil Gavaskar

Melbourne: Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has been appointed chairman of a six-man panel to select a World XI to a ?Super Series? in Australia later this year, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Wednesday.

Gavaskar will lead a panel comprising New Zealand?s Richard Hadlee, Clive Lloyd of the West Indies, South Africa?s Jonty Rhodes, Mike Atherton of England and Sri Lanka?s Aravinda de Silva.

The ICC said the panel would select a Test and one-day squad in April to play in the three limited-overs games and a one-off Test match.

Australia appear certain to play the World selection in the Test match as they are the clear leaders on the Test rankings.

But Ricky Ponting?s team needs to beat Pakistan in this weekend?s tri-series finals and win the one-day series against New Zealand in February-March to be guaranteed of playing in the ODI matches against the Rest of the World.

The Black Caps is the only side that can take over from Australia and play in the one-dayers.

The three limited-overs matches will be played in Melbourne?s Docklands Stadium on October 5, 7 and 9 with the six-day Test to be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground starting on October 14.

The two Rest of the World squads will include 30 players from around the world, ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed said at the announcement on Wednesday.

Speed said the ICC board had rejected the proposal to give the matches official status.

?That was rejected by the board but between now and October we?ll have another go and see if that remains the board?s view,? he said.

The two squads will be reduced to 20 players in June and finalised in August.

A coach and captain of the sides are yet to be named.

Speed said selectors were not bound by Test and one-day rankings when choosing the sides and would instead aim to pick the most balanced sides to play Australia.

?It needs to be a team that has balance, a team that?s in form,? Speed said in a statement released on Wednesday.

?The only restriction will be that any player who is banned under the ICC Code of Conduct will not be eligible, but otherwise all players are eligible for selection. They will have to make some tough decisions.?

Gavaskar and Lloyd both said they expected the selection to be a rigorous process.

?I think we?ve got a great balance of international experience on the panel and I?m sure there will be lively debate when we convene to pick the teams,? Gavaskar said.

Lloyd, a member of the Rest of the World team that took on Australia in 1971-72, added: ?There are so many top players available for selection in the ICC World XI that the hardest task is going to be deciding who to leave out.?

SUPER SERIES FIXTURES

Limited overs matches: Oct. 5, 7 & 9 in Melbourne

Super Test: Oct. 14-19 in Sydney