Sri Lanka will host the inaugural Murali Cup, a community work-focused international schools tournament endorsed by cricket legend Muttiah Muralitharan and organised by the Foundation of Goodness in partnership with Red Dot Tours, in July next year.

The Murali Cup 2011 will be played from 12 to 18 July on Sri Lanka’s beautiful south coast with eight teams participating from the United Kingdom, Malaysia and Sri Lanka. Dulwich College, King Edward’s School Southampton, Warwick School and Bloxham School will participate from the UK. The final international spot remains open. Three local schools will be invited from rural areas in different regions of the island.

The tournament is designed to promote friendship and compassion between children with different social and ethnic backgrounds as well as raise funds for a Learning and Empowerment Institute in Sri Lanka’s North East, a project that will be managed by the Foundation of Goodness.

"This unique tournament brings together kids from different backgrounds to share their joy of cricket while also helping others less fortunate have a brighter future," Muralitharan said. A crucial part of the 10-day tournament will be special community work days when all the players and school teachers will join together to participate in special community programmes and activity schemes in Seenigama, a small village near Galle and the headquarters of the Foundation of Goodness.

In addition to community work, former MCC Secretary Roger Knight will use the tournament to promote the MCC’s Spirit of Cricket ethos while international stars, including Mahela Jayawardena and Kumar Sangakkara, will run special coaching sessions.“We are delighted to be working together with Red Dot Tours to create a really innovative school tournament that will be run annually every July,” Kushil Gunasekera, the founder of the Foundation of Goodness, told the media.