Shahid Afridi wanted Indian players to take part in World Series

The entire Pakistan is waiting for the action to commence on Tuesday. After 8 long years, the fans will witness top flight cricket in the lifeless stadiums in Pakistan. A 14-member squad of brave cricketers has agreed to visit the shores for Pakistan for a 3-match T20 series led by South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis.

The crowds would have loved to see Pakistan’s most charismatic player Shahid Afridi playing in this series. The former all-rounder has retired from international cricket but still operates in various T20 leagues around the world. Afridi is delighted to see a World XI team touring Pakistan and sees this as a first step in restoring international cricket in the country.

Afridi lauds Najam Sethi

In an interview with BBC Urdu, Afridi lavished praises on PCB chief Najam Sethi to bring cricket back in the nation. The 37-year old also wished if Indian cricketers could be a part of the World XI as it would have added to the charm of the event. Afridi pointed out that the people of Pakistan love cricket and want to see international cricketers playing in front of them.

The ICC World XI squad arrived in Lahore in the early hours of Monday at the Allama Iqbal International Airport. The security standards were immense as the team was escorted to their hotel. The World XI is scheduled to play 3 T20s against Sarfaraz Ahmed’s team at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. The first game will be played on Tuesday and the next two on Wednesday and Friday. The tickets for the event are fast selling out as Pakistan gears up for an iconic event.

Andy Flower promises great cricket

 Coach of the World XI squad – Andy Flower – was looking forward to seeing some great cricket. He thanked the authorities to give the entire squad a very warm welcome.

“It’s great to be here; we’re looking forward to seeing a lot of you watching the great cricket we put on the show,” said Flower.

“We’ve had a warm welcome. Thank you very much,” he added.