LAHORE: South African Test captain Faf du Plessis will lead a ICC World XI team comprising players from several Test-playing nations in a three-match T20 series against Pakistan in Lahore next month, chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Najam Sethi announced here on Thursday.
“The World XI squad face Pakistan in a three-match T20 International series, named the Independence Cup, on Sept 12, 13 and 15 in Lahore,” Sethi said during a press conference here.
“On behalf of the PCB and the cricket-loving public, I welcome the ICC World XI team to Pakistan to play in the T20 series,” he added.
“This will be an auspicious moment for Pakistan cricket and I am positive that it will serve to open the doors of international cricket in Pakistan.”
The eagerly-awaited series is part of a campaign aimed at restoring international cricket in Pakistan which has not hosted any top-level international cricket contest since 2009.
While announcing the 14-member World XI squad, Sethi said it was a great day for Pakistan cricket.
“Five players from South Africa, three from Australia, two from West Indies and one each from England, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Bangladesh are part of the World XI squad,” the PCB chief revealed.
Former Zimbabwe captain Andy Flower will be the coach of the visiting World XI side which will undergo a two-day training camp in Dubai before coming to Lahore.
Prominent in the World XI squad are South Africa’s premier batsman Hashim Amla, his team-mate leg-spinner Imran Tahir, the African country’s middle-order batsman David Miller and its pace spearhead Morne Morkel, former West Indies captain and T20 specialist Darren Sammy who also led Peshawar Zalmi to victory in this year’s Pakistan Super League final, dashing Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal, former England captain Paul Collingwood and Sri Lankan all-rounder Thisara Perera.
Other players are Samuel Badree (West Indies), George Bailey, Ben Cutting, Tim Paine (all Australia) and Grant Elliott (New Zealand).
Sethi paid glowing tribute to Giles Clarke, the head of ICC Task Force on resumption of international cricket in Pakistan, for his tremendous efforts in selecting the World XI.
“Gathering the players for the [World XI] team, collecting $1.2 million for experts to come to Pakistan to observe the security situation, credit for all of this goes to Giles Clarke,” Sethi said.
“I would like to congratulate Clarke for helping [us] facilitate the revival of international cricket in Pakistan. I am confident that this World XI tour shall be a harbinger of other full member nations visiting us in the months to come.”