Pakistan vs World XI: Five thi

Pakistan vs World XI: Five things you need to know

The Pakistani public gets a rare glimpse of international cricket as stars from all over the world take on the home team in three T20s starting on Tuesday.

Pakistan vs World XI: Five thi

International cricket returns to Pakistan again tomorrow as the home side will be taking on a World XI in three T20s starting tomorrow. The team led by South African test captain Faf du Plessis landed in Lahore last night amid tight security.

The team consists of players from seven countries, including five South Africans in captain Faf, Hashim Amla, Morne Morkel , Imran Tahir and David Miller. Other players on tour are Bangladesh all time leading run scorer, Tamim Iqbal, former England allrounder, Paul Collingwood , former West Indies T20 captain Darren Sammy and SA-born New Zealand allrounder Grant Elliot.

The tour is widely anticipated by the Pakistani public as they have been starved of international cricket over the last eight years. Since 2009 only Zimbabwe has toured Pakistan due to security concerns after Sri Lanka survived a terror attack when they toured there that year. An attack which injured several players, killing six officers and two civilians.

The touring party is coached by former Zimbabwe captain and England coach Andy Flower.

“We are looking forward to seeing a lot of you watching the great cricket that we are going to put on show and we had a warm welcome already,” he said on arrival.

Unlike the last series involving the World XI these fixtures will not have T20 international status, meaning they will not count towards the players’ T20i records.

Here are five other related facts you need to know:

  1. Faf du Plessis will be following in Graeme Smith and Shaun Pollock’s footsteps in terms of South Africans captaining the World XI. Smith lead the test side in the ICC Super Series 2005 against Australia while Pollock was captain of the ODI side.
  2.  Five South Africans were selected across both formats in the ICC Super Series. They Smith, Pollock, Jacques Kallis, Makhaya Ntini and Mark Boucher.
  3. The side who will be taking on Pakistan tomorrow consists of four retired players in Paul Collingwood, Grant Elliot, Darren Sammy and Thisara Perera.
  4. At 41 Paul Collingwood is the oldest player on tour, followed by SA’s Imran Tahir who is 38 years old.
  5. Imran Tahir will play his first senior international in his birth town if selected to play tomorrow.

Live streaming

September 12: 1st T20, 4:45am

September 13: 2nd T20, 4:15am

September 15: 3rd T20, 4:15am

All matches are broadcast live on Supersport 2 (SS2).