Explosive Indian batsman Virender Sehwag is one of the four current leading cricketers, who have been chosen by the International Cricket Council as its ambassadors for year 2010-2011.

In all, the ICC has chosen five ambassadors, including Australian umpire Simon Taufel, for one-year period during which its flagship event ODI World Cup will be held jointly by India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara, England’s World Twenty20 winning captain Paul Collingwood, Australia vice-captain Michael Clarke are the other ambassadors.

“Virender, Michael, Kumar, Paul and Simon have so much to offer and to have access to their valuable time and energy for issues of importance to the ICC is beneficial to the game as a whole,” ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said in an ICC statement.

“By making appearances at press conferences, social events and coaching clinics, the ICC Ambassadors will also provide valuable support and general awareness of the activities of the ICC and its key stakeholders,” the statement said.

For Sangakkara and Taufel, it is the third successive time that they have been appointed as ICC Ambassadors since the programme was launched in 2008 while Collingwood, Clarke and Sehwag have been appointed for the first time.

Previous ICC Ambassadors include Rahul David of India, JP Duminy of South Africa, Charlotte Edwards of England and Lisa Sthalekar of Australia.