Pakistan cricket fans have not seen world-class international cricketers play in their nation after the terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka team in 2009. Barring some foreign cricketers playing in the recent PSL 2017 final in Lahore and a Zimbabwe tour of Pakistan in 2015, cricket boards and the players have been reluctant to play in the country.
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However, that is all set to change as the ICC are set to send a World XI squad for a T20 series in September. After the PSL 2017 final, which was played under tight security, in Lahore went without a hitch, the Pakistan Cricket Board will be keen to make sure that the September series does not face any problems either.
The details for the series are yet to be etched out, PCB's Najam Sethi, who also want other cricket boards to come and play in Pakistan now, said.
"The report is correct that a World XI will tour Pakistan but details still need to be worked out like the dates of matches and final schedule of the tour. Also the terms and conditions," Press Trust of India quoted Sethi as saying.
"The PSL final has now been held successfully and the response of the Pakistani people to the challenge of holding this match has been tremendous.
"The security arrangements for the final were well executed. We are now in a position to convince other boards to start sending their teams to Pakistan. I don't want to go into details but efforts are being made and we are hopeful we will see some more international cricket in Pakistan this year."
With the T20 series set to tentatively take place from September 22-29, it remains to be seen which players ICC decide to select in the World XI. More importantly, with India and Pakistan's political relations still still not quite the greatest, Indian players are unlikely to feature in that World XI.
