The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has accelerated its efforts to re-schedule the much anticipated World-XI tour to Pakistan to guarantee the arrival of top cricketers from around the world, PCB sources said on Thursday.
According to initial plans, an ICC World-XI team was all set to tour Pakistan in late September this year for a three-match T20 series. However, PCB sources revealed that the board was attempting to re-schedule the tour for the first week of September to ensure availability of major players for the series.
According to sources, the rescheduling of the event happened due to the unavailability of the international stars that PCB was attempting to rope in for the series. Therefore, the board is working tirelessly to hold the series in the first week of September to ensure maximum big names’ participation.
During a meeting last month, the ICC agreed to send a World-XI team for a three-match T20 series against Pakistan. The plan, backed by the ICC board, is aimed to bring international cricket back to Pakistan.
“Plans for World-XI to play in Pakistan continue to be developed as ICC Board reiterated its support to help bring international cricket back to Pakistan,” an ICC statement said, after its board meeting in London in June.
No major Test team has toured Pakistan since the attack on Sri Lankan team in Lahore in 2009; the drought, however, was broken in 2015 when Zimbabwe toured Pakistan to play three ODIs and two T20Is in Lahore.
The list of players visiting with the World XI squad is yet to be known, but it is expected that following the backing of the ICC board, all major Test nations will have representation in the event.
