ICC planning to send a World XI to Pakistan for a four-match T20 series in September [Update #6]

[MenInG]

Giles Clarke, the head of the International Cricket Council’s Task Team on Pakistan, promised on Monday (March 6) to bring a World XI to Pakistan in September this year after the safe and successful staging of the Pakistan Super League final in Lahore on Sunday, an official said.

The Pakistan Cricket Board successfully staged the PSL final in Lahore on Sunday, despite two deadly bomb blasts in the city last month.

Clarke, who visited Pakistan to oversee security arrangements in Lahore in January before a renewed wave of terrorism which killed over 120 people in Pakistan and 23 in Lahore alone, praised the successful staging of the final.

“Giles has written a letter to me and has praised the successful and safe staging of the PSL final and has promised to bring a World XI to Pakistan in September this year,” Shaharyar Khan, the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, told Wisden India.

However, a similar effort failed last year due to financial problems as even former stars were demanding big money in risk-high Pakistan, where teams have refused to tour since the 2009 attacks on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore.

Shaharyar said all financial matters would be finalised in good time to avoid a repeat of last year’s abandonment of the plan.

http://m.wisdenindia.com/full-story.php?category=News&id=244596&

 

[Azzurri]

I think its better to bring a test status holder team instead of these world XI's

 

[BDwarriors]

The letter = MOU

 

[volcyz]

Sure.... we believe you man

 

[IAJ]

Even Giles must be sick and tired of SK's statements to media..

 

[Abdullah719]

Pakistan to host international cricket again with T20 series versus World XI

The International Cricket Council is planning to send a World XI to Pakistan in late September for a four-match Twenty20 series in Lahore that will look to build on the successful staging of the Pakistan Super League final in the city on Sunday.

The four-match encounter at the Gaddafi Stadium – slated to be called The Independence Cup to mark the 70th anniversary of partition – is intended to continue the reintroduction of top-level cricket to the country after a near eight-year hiatus that resulted from the attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in 2009 and has meant Pakistan, bar one series against Zimbabwe two years ago, have played their home internationals at neutral venues since.

Details of which players will feature in the World XI are yet to be established. Six overseas cricketers – including Kevin Pietersen, Luke Wright and Tymal Mills – withdrew from Sunday’s PSL final following the tournament’s switch from the United Arab Emirates and in light of two bomb blasts in the preceding weeks.

But England’s Chris Jordan and Dawid Malan, and the former West Indies captain Darren Sammy, were among the eight who travelled as, amid a military-style security detail that saw the city in lockdown and bullet-proof team buses escorted by commandoes, the match passed without incident and their Peshawar Zalmi side beat Quetta Gladiators by 58 runs.

Giles Clarke, the president of the England and Wales Cricket Board, heads up the ICC’s Pakistan Task Force that has been looking at ways to end a drought of international cricket and stated that the PSL final, while not simply a test run for the World XI series in itself, has shown cricket can be staged in Lahore.

“The desire is to give the cricket-starved Pakistani supporters the chance to see some of the world’s finest players in live action,” said Clarke. “The world of cricket needs to help Pakistan, who cannot continue to play their home fixtures overseas. The youth need inspiring, and the national teams need far more cricket played in familiar terrain. Furthermore, the terrorists cannot win and cricket must not give up on Pakistan.”

The World XI series will see the overseas team assemble in Dubai on 17 September, before flying to Lahore for matches on the 22nd, 23rd, 28th and 29th, and follow a similar security plan to the PSL final, the rehearsals for which were overseen by an ICC delegation that included the ECB’s security director, Reg Dickason.

Malan, speaking before playing Sunday’s final, said he made himself available after being talked through the military-style operation and following guarantees over both player and spectator safety. “As soon as they brought out how tough it would be to get to the players, I almost felt it was my duty to come and represent the team and do the right thing by them,” said the Middlesex batsman. “Despite all the concerns that there have been in Pakistan, there has been an initiative to try and bring top-class cricket back to the country.”

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...international-cricket-t20-series-world-xi-icc

 

[Madplayer]

I hope the world XI has some current players this time around. Not the spent forces like last time.

 

[the Great Khan]

Why bother?? I mean the crowd will be rubbish. The pitch rubbish. The roads rubbish. The teams rubbish..everything rubbish...let's just watch the NFL instead yayy

 

[rixxuu]

Why bother?? I mean the crowd will be rubbish. The pitch rubbish. The roads rubbish. The teams rubbish..everything rubbish...let's just watch the NFL instead yayy

That rubbish list looks incomplete without the posters like you.
Talk about height of negativity.

 

[proud_pakistani]

Why bother?? I mean the crowd will be rubbish. The pitch rubbish. The roads rubbish. The teams rubbish..everything rubbish...let's just watch the NFL instead yayy

What are you saying? Why is crowd rubbish?

 

[Abdullah719]

That rubbish list looks incomplete without the posters like you.
Talk about height of negativity.

What are you saying? Why is crowd rubbish?

He's being sarcastic, guys.

 

[London_Lahori]

I think Giles has always had a soft spot for Pakistan cricket, really tried to help us by brining us to the UK before we shot ourselves in the foot (our favourite past time by the way).

 

[Bilal7]

Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid would come if he's not playing any international cricket and doesn't have any other commitments. Maybe Amla and Tahir too but not sure if CSA will clear them to go. Along with Sammy, Jordan, Malan and some Zimbabwe and Afghan players, it'll be a pretty decent team.

 

[cricketerB94]

And some experts were saying that PSL final will not have any effect on international cricket return to Pakistan.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Very good news. Hopefully some big names will present but just to see a team of foreigners in Lahore would be a big step forward. Credit to Giles Clarke, he is doing his best.

 

[proud_pakistani]

He's being sarcastic, guys.

Strange timing of sarcasm.

 

[Convict]

I think its better to bring a test status holder team instead of these world XI's

Easier to convince individuals from 10 teams than to convince a team to bring a full squad for an official match.

 

[Zohaib Shah]

And some experts were saying that PSL final will not have any effect on international cricket return to Pakistan.

They tried this last year. Don't think the PSL influenced it.

 

[SL_Fan]

PCB to move forward on World XI visit after govt go-ahead

PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan has said they would confirm the visit of World XI cricket team to Pakistan after getting security clearance from the government.

ICC Task Force chairman Giles Clarke is keen on bringing the team to Pakistan in September.

“I am grateful to Mr Giles Clarke, who is taking keen interest in resumption of international cricket in Pakistan. He wants to bring World-XI to Pakistan. After receiving a go-ahead from the government, the PCB will move forward on his plan,” Shaharyar said.

He added that Clarke had wanted to bring a Commonwealth team to Pakistan last year but it was not possible for the PCB to finance the expensive trip.

He said the World XI tour would help resume international cricket in Pakistan and the PCB would try its best to make the tour possible.

In his email message to Shaharyar, Clarke said, “Many congratulations on successful staging of PSL final. A tremendous achievement by the PCB and wonderful determination. Our congratulations to you all and to the Punjab government, army and police. Very well played. We will be there in September. Warmest wishes.”

Link

 

[Abdullah719]

Pakistan expects ICC decision on sending World XI in April

KARACHI: International Cricket Council is expected to take a decision on sending a World XI side to Pakistan at its executive board meeting in April.

Security experts who visited Lahore for the Pakistan Super League final will submit their reports and give their feedback.

The ICC meeting is scheduled to be held from April 23 to 27, and the Pakistan Cricket Board is hoping the feedback from the security experts would pave the way for return of international cricket to the country.

No top Test team has toured Pakistan since militants attacked the Sri Lankan team in Lahore in March, 2009.

Since than only Zimbabwe visited Lahore in May, 2014 to play a short limited over series while the next high-profile event to be held in Pakistan was the PSL final last Sunday.

A PCB source said that the ICC will be reviewing the state-level security arrangements made for the PSL final at the April meeting.

"Sean Norris, who is the ICC security manager, will give his report on the security arrangements while the security advisors of other boards like England, Australia, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will also give their written feedbacks," he said.

He said the basic purpose of the exercise was to allow the board members of the ICC to decide for themselves about the security situation in Pakistan based on the feedback from the security experts.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...ng-world-xi-in-april/articleshow/57582148.cms