Shahid Afridi named World XI captain for charity match against West Indies
Eoin Morgan's finger injury means former Pakistan captain will lead the World XI side in their upcoming match against the West Indies — a T20 International for the #CricketRelief initiative, the official ICC website said on Wednesday.
The ICC will use the proceeds collected from the match — to be played on May 31 at Lord's Cricket Stadium — to rebuild damaged stadiums in the Caribbean as a result of last year’s hurricanes.
An x-ray following a bruised finger from a fielding mishap during a domestic match for Middlesex revealed the fracture in his finger and sidelined Morgan.
Fellow English player Sam Billings has been named as Morgan's replacement in the squad.
Afridi, who stormed onto the international scene as a 16-year-old with a memorable record-breaking century in his debut game, brings a wealth of international experience to the squad having represented Pakistan in more than 500 matches.
Other players added to the squad include English fast bowler Tymal Mills as well as Surrey’s promising all-rounder Sam Curran, who has yet to make his debut for England.
The revised roster — which also includes Shoaib Malik — is as follows: Shahid Afridi (Captain), Tamim Iqbal, Shoaib Malik, Mohammed Shami, Luke Ronchi, Sam Billings, Dinesh Karthik, Thisara Perera, Rashid Khan, Mitchell McClenaghan, Sandeep Lamichhane, Adil Rashid, Tymal Mills, Sam Curran.