PCB chief announces World XI squad

[ghazi52]

PCB chief announces World XI squad; Du Plessis appointed skipper

Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Najam Sethi on Thursday announced the squad for the World XI team scheduled to play three Twenty20 matches against Pakistan for the Independence Cup series in Lahore next month.

The international team, comprising players from seven Test-playing countries, will be captained by South African Test and T20 Captain Faf Du Plessis and coached by former Zimbabwe skipper Andy Flower.

World XI squad:

• Faf du Plessis (captain) (South Africa)
• Hashim Amla (South Africa)
• Samuel Badree (Windies)
• George Bailey (Australia)
• Paul Collingwood (England)
• Ben Cutting (Australia)
• Grant Elliott (New Zealand)
• Tamim Iqbal (Bangladesh)
• David Miller (South Africa)
• Morne Morkel (South Africa)
• Tim Paine (wicketkeeper) (Australia)
• Thisara Perera (Sri Lanka)
• Imran Tahir (South Africa)
• Darren Sammy (Windies)

The Independence Cup series will be played in Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium on Sept 12, 13 and 15.

PCB chief Sethi described the tournament as "an auspicious moment for Pakistan", which he said would pave way for the return of international cricket to the country.

With the exception of a Zimbabwe tour two years ago, Pakistan has had to play all home matches outside of the country after a 2009 terrorist attack in Lahore on a bus carrying the Sri Lankan team wiped out the possibility of international level matches to be held in the country.

 

[ghazi52]

The team will arrive in Dubai two days before the matches and practice there,” announced Sethi. “A three-member security team is going to visit Pakistan on September 1. They will discuss security arrangements with the Punjab Government.”


Playing in Pakistan will be unique experience: Du Plessis

Captain Du Plessis, in a statement published by the PCB, said that he is happy to do his part in the return of cricket to Pakistan.

“I am honoured to have been appointed as captain of such a diverse, attractive and well-balanced side,” he said. “Like most of the players, I look forward to my maiden tour to Lahore and play my part in the safe and gradual resumption of international cricket in Pakistan.”

On the topic of security, Du Plessis showed his faith in the arrangements made by the PCB. “All the members of the squad have complete faith and trust in the assessment and the judgement of the security experts, who have assured us that there will be no compromise on safety,” said Du Plessis. “As professionals, we are getting paid to play in the series, but the bottom line is if we don’t feel safe, no amount of money can get us there. We will land in Lahore with nothing but cricket on our minds.”

The 33-year-old said he was looking forward to playing in Pakistan. “In my career, I’ve featured in many exciting matches against Pakistan. But playing Pakistan in front of their passionate supporters will be a unique experience, which I can’t wait to experience.”

Confident to be fit for matches: Amla

South African Test star Hashim Amla is nursing a shoulder injury but believes he will be fit for the three T20Is in Lahore.

“I am looking forward to the trip to Pakistan,” said Amla. “The rehabilitation of my injured shoulder is progressing well and I am confident of being fit for the matches.”

Really excited for World XI tour: Sarfraz

Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmed, who tasted international cricket at home during the Zimbabwe tour and the final of the second edition of Pakistan Super League, believes the World XI tour will bring better times for the game in the country.

“I am really excited to see the World XI team coming to Pakistan and keenly look forward to playing in front of our committed crowds and supporters,” he said. “I can assure all Pakistan cricket fans that we have missed playing in front of them, like they have missed watching us live in action. But this wait is about to end and I am sure better times lie ahead of all of us.”

He continued: “I am confident that through this tour of the World XI, the global cricket community, including players, media and visitors will get a better understanding and perception of Pakistan, which is a peace-loving and extremely hospitable nation that loves its cricket.”

 

[Skywalker]

Again only Lahore...Pakistan is not only Lahore.

 

[TechMan]

ICC today has also announced appointment of Richie Richardson as match referee for this series.

 

[ghazi52]

Richie Richardson appointed match referee for Independence Cup

Former West Indies captain Richie Richardson has been appointed match referee by the ICC for the three-match T20 Independence Cup between Pakistan and the World XI side - the first instance since 2009 of an ICC match official overseeing cricket in Pakistan.

Richardson has been a member of the ICC's Elite Panel of match referees since January 2016 and has officiated in 11 Tests, 19 ODIs and 18 T20Is till date. The Pakistan Cricket Board announced the ICC's decision in a press release on Tuesday. "The Pakistan Cricket Board today announced that the International Cricket Council has appointed Sir Richie Richardson as match referee for the Independence Cup to be played between the World XI and Pakistan at the Gaddafi Stadium on 12, 13 and 15 September."

The ICC has thrown its weight behind this series, working closely with the PCB to tackle security which satisfied the standards of the players' body, the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations (FICA).

Zimbabwe's tour in 2015 - the only international tour by a Test-playing team since the terror attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in 2009 - had gone ahead with local umpires and match officials. Prior to Zimbabwe's tour, several countries had refused to play in Pakistan, in the aftermath of the attack in Lahore. The PCB, however, has been gradually pursuing more matches in the country. Earlier this year, a few international players turned out in Lahore for the final of the Pakistan Super League.

 

[Kaniska]

Its a good step by PCB...I hope and wish cricket returns to Pakistan....Otherwise, cricket without Pakistan is so lackluster for me...

 

[ghazi52]

'There's a deeper meaning to this tour' - Andy Flower

Until recently, Andy Flower would not have been expected to figure prominently across the radar of most Pakistani fans. Sure they will know of him: former England coach, brother to Pakistan's batting coach, a legend from a different time, nuggety and determined enough as an opponent to force his way into Wasim Akram's all-time XI.

By the end of next month, by the end of this year, in five years hopefully, in a decade perhaps, if all goes well, they might come to remember him indelibly as the man who led big-time international cricket back to Pakistan.

As coach of the World XI side that will face Pakistan in Lahore in three T20Is in September, Flower is not the only one responsible for bringing the highest-profile international games to the country in over eight years. The ECB president Giles Clarke, as head of the ICC's Pakistan Task Team (PTT), the PCB itself - Shaharyar Khan has gone but left this behind - and the ICC have come together for this.

But it was Flower who got a diverse and robust 14-man squad together, with enough established names to make this more than just an invitational XI. Clarke had first mentioned the prospect of such a series to Flower last year, though it only became a more tangible project before the start of this English summer.

"Inititally I had to look at who was busy during this period of the year," Flower told ESPNcricinfo. "And initially we didn't settle on the dates specifically so it was a little difficult working out exactly who was going to be physically available. Then I started having some phone conversations with players and agents."

Security was a "robust" part of these conversations, according to Flower. But the presence of two experienced and trusted security firms, veteran security officials such as Reg Dickason, as well as a more or less incident-free PSL final in Lahore earlier this year meant players were "comfortable and trusting of the expertise on offer from these companies that will be working closely in conjunction with Pakistanis security experts."

"In general the response was very positive. Obviously these are professional cricketers we are dealing with and this is part of their profession but there's a deeper meaning to this tour and the players will really embrace the spirit with which the Independence Cup will be played. And I also believe they will be surprised and pleased by the reception they get from the Pakistani people."

Flower had no hesitation in wanting to get involved. Part of it stems from being consistently attuned to a bigger picture of the world beyond the cricket field. But it is also because Pakistan and Pakistanis figure prominently through a rich career. He toured Pakistan as a player three times in five years, as well as the 1996 World Cup; in all he's played across nine venues in the country, "fascinating" experiences as he remembers them.

Playing and working with Pakistanis has provided further insight, as well as a stint with Peshawar Zalmi in the first season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL). And, of course, there is his brother Grant, batting coach of Pakistan now for three years, and uniquely placed to provide an outsider's insider perspective.

death of democracy" in Zimbabwe.

Before that, in the late 90s, he had surprised many in Zimbabwe by moving, as the country's finest white batsman and captain, across a creeping racial divide, to a black club. It was a seminal moment for the game there.

Bringing international cricket back to a country pining for it is part of that tapestry. "I think we are all responsible for doing our best for the game," Flower said.

"And if we are lucky enough to be given opportunities where we can make a positive contribution to - it could be your club, school, a representative team, your national team or if you're really lucky you might be given opportunities to positively affect the world game in some way. We all have our little parts to play. So I'm thankful for the opportunity to come to Pakistan with this team."

Among his players, Flower will have to balance the sense of being part of a bigger-than-usual occasion with the seriousness of competitive cricket. These are international matches after all and Pakistan's first assignment as winners of the Champions Trophy. Do not expect knockabouts.

"I think everybody involved in the Independence Cup will realise there are bigger issues at stake than winning at cricket," Flower said. "However, I think when these excellent players get together as a team, their competitive juices will undoubtedly flow and they will come together and be doing everything in their power to win those games, I'm pretty certain about that.

"But I think it will actually be a lovely experience to be part of something that will be bigger than just winning cricket matches. So yes they will be competitive. The people that come will be richly entertained and that is really important. But it is nice to be part of something bigger than this."

 

[ghazi52]

World XI visit: Gaddafi will light up with glee, says Waqar

CRICKET COMES HOME: Waqar Younis believes the grandeur of the World XI’s tour will not be less than India’s historical visits to Pakistan.

Only the strongest survive trying times, and when they do, they emerge stronger than ever. Same will be the case with Pakistan in general and Lahore in particular, which in former coach Waqar Younis’ words will be ‘lit’ when true international cricket makes its way back to the country after eight long years.

Although a short tour featuring Zimbabwe did materialise back in 2015, the cricket-mad country’s fans wanted to see a sizable, substantial opponent on home soil. They demanded a tour where top players from major cricketing nations visited the country and faced their local heroes as opposed to minnows and castoffs.

Their wish was finally granted when a South Africa captain Faf du Plessis-led World XI team was set up to play three T20Is in Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.

With every single cricket fan in Pakistan happy and waiting anxiously for the tour, pace legend Waqar Younis’s case is no different as he too is cherishing the return of international cricket to the cricket-famished country.

“It has been nearly 10 years since international cricket was played on this ground [Gaddafi Stadium],” he said while talking to the Pakistan Cricket Board. “A few matches were played here before but it is great to see [true international] cricket returning to the country. Of course, it is a huge deal for the fans; it is a moment of great glee for all of us.”

The 45-year-old feels the grandeur of the World XI tour will not be any less than India’s historical visits to Pakistan.

“I hope the fans will enjoy as much as they used to enjoy when India visited this place,” he said. “I hope the fans will celebrate the return of international cricket with fervour and the air of Gaddafi Stadium will be filled with colours of happiness.”

Waqar, while recalling his Gaddafi Stadium memories, claimed the ground would seem to shrink when cricket-hungry spectators flood in for the matches.

“Our generation was lucky; we lived in a time when international cricket was played regularly in Pakistan,” he said. “Now, when the new kids will see cricket happening in the country, it will be a moment of great pride for us.”

He continued: “The stadium will be full. When World XI will visit, other teams will start to come too, and this stadium will not be able to take the toll of fans. People are hungry to watch live cricket, to watch their heroes play in front of them. Those were good days (when cricket was played in Pakistan), but better days are coming soon.”

Like all other former cricketers and analysts of Pakistani origin, Waqar did not leave the opportunity to thank everyone involved in making the World XI visit possible.

“I want to thank all the international players, the coaches, the management, whoever is coming on the tour, whoever is coming and supporting us,” said Waqar. “It is a big thank to them.”

He concluded by telling the World XI players to get ready for a grand reception.

“Hopefully, we’ll be able to express our happiness in front of them. They’ll see. The Gaddafi Stadium is going to light up and things are going to start moving in the right direction,” he said.

 

[ghazi52]

Trying to help Pakistan is important for cricket

Paul Collingwood

THERE are lots of reasons why I’m looking forward to playing in the World XI T20 tour of Lahore later this month. Hopefully this can be a significant step in helping Pakistan host international fixtures again after eight years of playing in other countries, including their home series in the United Arab Emirates and England.

The tour has got the backing and support of all the Test playing nations, the professional players’ unions as well as the International Cricket Council, though the series is being considered as a bilateral series with the Pakistan Cricket Board as its host.

You can only imagine how demoralising it must have been for Pakistan’s players during the last few years and it’s an opportunity to show and prove that they can hold big fixtures in their own country once again.

Playing away from their home would have done nothing to help them improve their game in the long-term and it must have been so frustrating.

Despite that, I have to say I’m not surprised that they still topped the ICC Test Team Rankings last year and won the ICC Champions Trophy 2017, because when it comes to cricket, they’re a hugely-talented nation.

Sometimes, you don’t know what you’re going to get in terms of performance and that’s why they can be such a dangerous opposition. They always have players with potential and talent and, while it couldn’t have helped, it doesn’t seem to have harmed their development playing in Dubai.

Getting those home games again — although there is a little way to go — would be a big thing.

I’ve had a taste of it myself because I toured there with England just after The Ashes in 2005. It’s a very passionate place and the atmosphere in the grounds can be deafening, particularly in Karachi.

I’m sure that once we get out there, the locals will want Pakistan to win, but they will see the bigger picture and they will be behind us too.

If teams are going to tour there again, it’s important that their supporters are also going to be safe to travel there.

Time is limited and the security will be high, so unfortunately we won’t be able to do the tourist things I did when I went there 12 years ago and we understand that. We’ve got ‘Head of State’ security, which I’ve been involved with in India after the Mumbai attacks and also in Bangladesh last year.

I’m just looking forward to playing three really competitive games of cricket and for it to be as normal as possible.

Andy Flower first contacted me a couple of months ago to see if I would entertain the idea of touring Pakistan. From there, you have to ask the right questions to (Director of Security Management at the England and Wales Cricket Board) Reg Dickason because security is paramount.

After that it came down to the selection process. Andy would have asked a lot of players if they were keen and, thankfully at 41, I’ve been able to make it, which is something I’m really proud of. At my age, to be able to play three Twenty20 Internationals in front of huge crowds is something you have to be interested in.

Trying to help Pakistan is important for cricket — and no-one can pretend the money isn’t great — but, added to that, playing them in their own back yard also really floated my boat.

I’ve not played international cricket since 2011, so to play in games with full international status against the full Pakistan side is very, very exciting and it’s great to be involved.

I heard Andy has said that there is a deeper meaning to the tour and I’m sure the reason why he is a key figure in this is that he can see a bigger message for world cricket.

For us, as players, we’re part of it too and we’re the people who want to go out there and perform. I’m sure Andy will see this as a huge step for cricket in Pakistan, particularly with his brother Grant having worked as their batting coach.

We’ll have three great matches and hopefully we will have helped in a small way.

The writer is a former England all-rounder who played in 68 Tests, 197 ODIs and 35 T20Is

 

[Imran Khan]

gaddafi my back name this shit with some good name

 

[ghazi52]

Lahore’s Gaddaffi stadium being given new look

LAHORE: Historic Gaddaffi stadium is being given new look for hosting three match series between Pakistan and the ICC World XI matches here from September 12 to 15. Necessary renovation work and white wash and paint work are being carried out for the eagerly awaited clash between world’s top notch cricketers and the home side.

"The arena will be tastefully decorated before the lunch of the series as we still have few days left to give the entire stadium a new look", said an official of the Pakistan Cricket Board who is supervising the work while talking to APP here on Tuesday.

He said various enclosures of the stadium have been cleaned and being white washed and broken plastic chairs are being replaced.

He said the stadium and its outer side will be tastefully decorated which will add to the grandeur of one of world’s best cricket ground.

"The preparations are very similar to the final of the Pakistan Super League which we successfully organized earlier this year", he added.

The ground staff is also busy on preparing the wickets and the outfield and they have shaved the grass of the outfield to shape it in an attractive pattern.

"Outfield is being watered to keep the grass green and the pitches are prepared in a professional manner", he said.

The PCB official said it is a historic moment in Pakistan’s cricket history that ICC World XI will be visiting the country in few days time.

"This visit has its own significance as it will mark the return of international cricket in Pakistan and we look forward to organize this series in a trend setting manner", he asserted.

He said the spectators will be provided all the necessary facilities including the drinking water inside the stadium.

"We will be utilizing our experience of holding the PSL final during the matches of the series to make this event a big success", he said.

 

[ghazi52]

PCB unveils logo of ‘Independence Cup 2017’ for World XI series

LAHORE: In a simple and graceful ceremony here on Thursday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) unveiled the logo of the ‘Independence Cup 2017’ for the forthcoming series between Pakistan XI and a World XI.

PCB chairman Najam Sethi, while unveiling the logo, addressed a press conference largely attended by sports journalists, cricketers and the board officials.

He said that the purpose of holding the World XI series is to project a positive image of Pakistan around the world.

Sethi also said the board is working hard to hold matches in Karachi in the near future as well.

The PCB chairman urged the media to cooperate in promoting the efforts of the board to bring international cricket back to Pakistan.

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

Need to start playing in all parts of country and not just Lahore

 

[ghazi52]

World XI Tour: Tales of tragedy, triumph from Qadhafi Stadium

From a World Cup final to the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team, the stadium is home to an array of memories. — File

Groundsmen are rolling down the pitches, welders are repairing barbed wire, and workers are splashing on a new coat of paint at Pakistan's centrepiece Qadhafi Stadium, which has witnessed both history and controversy — and is now preparing to retake cricket's world stage.

Next week the ground will ring out with the sound of Pakistan's national anthem once more as the home team takes on a star-studded World XI, the highest-profile international fixture in the country since a deadly militant attack eight years ago.

The three-match T20 series will be played under tight security but it is, officials hope, a new chapter for Pakistani cricket — and for the Qadhafi Stadium's bloody, scandal-plagued and, at times, glorious story.

Named after the Libyan leader who met a grisly end at the hands of rebel fighters, the ground has seen a World Cup final and militant attack, and has been caught up in Pakistan's nuclear ambitions and geopolitical rivalries.

It is at the heart of the most tragic incident in Pakistan's sporting history, after the Sri Lankan team had to be airlifted to safety when militants attacked their team bus near the stadium in 2009.

The attack, which killed eight people and wounded nine, drove international cricket — and most other sports — from Pakistan, leaving the country to host its “home” fixtures in neutral venues.

The 27,000-capacity venue has still seen moments of glory even since its peak when it hosted the 1996 World Cup final, won by Sri Lanka against Australia.

'You just feel the sadness'

Emotions ran high when minnows Zimbabwe became the first international team to return to Pakistan in 2015, allowing the green shirts to play in front of their home fans.

But, even as security improves dramatically, Pakistan has laboured to convince top Test-playing nations to return.

“[The 2009 attack] was the biggest blow I think Pakistan cricket would have faced,” Haroon Rashid, the director of cricket operations for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), told AFP.

“If you talk about that you just feel that the sadness is coming to you.”

Agha Zahid, the PCB's chief curator, hoped that was changing. “We are starting a new life,” he told AFP.

Bullet marks from the March 3, 2009 attack are still visible at the cosmetics shop owned by Akbar Javed at Liberty roundabout, near the stadium, where the Sri Lankan bus was pinned down by militant gunfire.

Unlike PCB officials, he is not pleased about the stadium's revival: security fears over previous big matches have forced him to close his shop for days, he says, and he expects similar problems for the World XI.

Others took a more cheerful view.

“It's the best stadium in Pakistan,” said Tauseef Sadozai, manager of the nearby Dawat-e-Khas restaurant.

He added: “This venue has missed a lot of cricket...Losing a few days of business isn't greater than losing international cricket.”

What's in a name?
First known as Lahore Stadium when it was built in 1959, the ground was renamed in honour of the Libyan dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 1974 when he spoke out in support of Pakistan's quest for a nuclear bomb.

After Kadhafi was killed in 2011, a grassroots debate began on whether Pakistan really wanted to link its greatest sporting passion to, in the words of one newspaper columnist, a “brutal Arab dictator”.

Six years later the name persists amid troubling times for Pakistani cricket.

In 2010, the year after the Sri Lankan team attack, Pakistan was rocked when then captain Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir were caught in a spot-fixing scandal on a tour to England.

All three were banned for five years and also jailed.

Spot-fixing also tainted what was meant to be one of the greatest moments at Qadhafi Stadium: the final of the popular Pakistan Super League (PSL) earlier this year.

Opener Sharjeel Khan was last month banned for five years over spot-fixing during the PSL, while Khalid Latif's fate is expected to be decided in the coming weeks. Four other players have been investigated.

As for the name, the PCB's new chief Najam Sethi last year called for the stadium to be rebranded in tribute to the late founder of Pakistan's largest welfare organisation, Abdul Sattar Edhi.

Edhi's work uplifting the nation's destitute cemented his place in the hearts of Pakistan's cricket-loving masses.

“It was actively considered,” PCB spokesman Amjad Hussain told AFPof the name change. “But no decision was taken.”