Intro:

"The Million Dollar Arm" launched their latest venture "The Million Dollar Bat" in Dubai on Wednesday - a talent search that will see US baseball hitters compete for the chance to play cricket in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Script:

SOUNDBITE: (English) J.B. Bernstein:
"So Million Dollar Arm was a contest we started back in 2007 in India and the goal was really to find the (Chinese former NBA star) Yao Ming. So we came to India to try to find a cricket bowler who we could convert to a pitcher. And we basically used the 'American Idol' format. And we wanted to find a guy to confirm the old adage - find me a guy who throws hard and I'll teach him everything else. And we found Rinku (Singh) and Dinesh (Patel) who were ultimately the first Indians to sign a pro-sports contract in America in any sport."

SOUNDBITE: (English) Rinku Singh:
"For people to change their life - it is a lifetime opportunity. And just like I had. You know I worked really hard for it, and look where I am, playing professionally. Life is good."

SOUNDBITE: (English) J.B. Bernstein:
"And when we look at America and we have all these batsmen, you know, we can leverage the similarities between batting and baseball and batting and cricket. And I have full belief that we will bring someone from America who will compete in the IPL and be the first American cricket player very much in the way that Rinku is the first baseball player in America."

SOUNDBITE: (English) Ash Vasudevan:
"This is an amazing opportunity for someone from North America to succeed in a sport that is watched by a billion people around the world."