All Stars eye off short boundaries

Ricky Ponting looked down at the recently laid pitch in the middle of Citi Field, the usual home of the New York Mets baseball team.

The former Australian captain then looked at some of the boundaries just 50 or so metres away.

Up came a big smile.

"Most of us need them nice and close," Ponting, who turns 41 next month, told AAP.

With such short boundaries, New Yorkers attending the Cricket All Stars game at Citi Field on Sunday morning (AEDT), featuring Ponting, Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Matthew Hayden, Andrew Symonds and other big hitters should probably wear protective helmets.

"In a game of baseball you might see one or two homers in a game," Australian paceman Glenn McGrath, 45, said.

Quick Single: Warne, Sachin take stock in NYC

"With us you might see one or two an over."

The ground is designed for baseball, with batters hitting from one end, but with the cricket pitch in the centre spectators are close to the action.

Citi Field groundskeepers are taking no chances and have placed nets in front of the large multi-level glass press box that will be in the firing line.

Groundskeepers have also sprayed green powder over the traditional red clay infield.

The players were impressed with the quality of the pitch, which was grown in Indianapolis and driven on the back of a truck 1000km to New York.

Another issue is whether or not the Americans in the crowd will throw back the ball after a six or pocket it as a souvenir like they traditionally do at a Major League Baseball game.

Shane Warne and Tendulkar have signed 28 former elite players, with the New York game to be followed by ones in Houston and Los Angeles in the next fortnight and another 12 games played around the world over the next three years.

Quick Single: Warne surprised by All Star line-up

They hope the All-Star series will excite young Americans enough to entice them to play cricket.

While expat Australians, Indians, Brits, Kiwis, Pakistanis and South Africans will attend, the big test will be how many Americans get involved.

Cricket All-Stars game one, at New York's Citi Field, will be live streamed on cricket.com.au and the Cricket Australia LIVE app to Live Pass subscribers for iOS and Android devices from 5am AEDT on Sunday November 8. Game two (Thursday November 12, 1pm AEDT) and game three (Sunday November 15, 1.30pm AEDT) will follow suit.