Michael Clarke, Hashim Amla to feature in World XI which will tour Pakistan?

The proposed tour is scheduled to run from September 12-19, 2017.

Published - 23 Jul 2017, 20:26 IST | Updated - 23 Jul 2017, 20:26 IST

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Some big names, including former Australia captain Michael Clarke and South African batsman Hashim Amla, will feature in a World XI side that will visit Pakistan for a Twenty20 International tour, which would be recognised as full internationals by the ICC, in September, this year.

The proposal for the tour involves a three-match T20 series between the Pakistan national team and a World XI side. However, for the tour to go ahead, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will have to wait for the official security clearance from the Punjab government.

Speaking on national television, Shahryar Khan, the PCB chairman said, “Andy Flower will be the coach of the touring World XI side”. He further added that he had “heard that Hashim Amla, Michael Clarke, along with New Zealander Luke Ronchi and Australian Tim Paine, are going to be part of the team”.

With this tour, international cricket is set to return to the war-torn country after an eight-year hiatus. Back in 2009, when Sri Lanka were touring the country, their team bus was attacked by gunmen in Lahore. Following this incident, only one country, Zimbabwe, had visited Pakistan to take part in a series in 2015.

Now, with the successful staging of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in March, Giles Clarke, the head of the ICC’s Pakistan task team has been led to conceive the idea of a World XI tour. As the PCB looks to encourage the return of international teams to the country, the idea has since gathered momentum.

“I have spoken to (the government) but I’m waiting for a final word,” said Khan, “which I am hopeful to receiving in time so that we can make all (required) arrangements for the tour.”

After this news broke out, though, Clarke had taken to Twitter to say that the prospect of him playing in Pakistan was “news to me”.