Pakistan to host World XI in September, confirms PCB chairman Najam Sethi

Karachi: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday confirmed that 15 players from seven different countries have agreed to visit the country as part of the World XI squad visiting to play a three-match T20 series to be held in Lahore next month.

Addressing a press conference, PCB chairman Najam Sethi said that the Punjab Government has approved 'Presidential level security' for the week-long tour.

"Players from England, New Zealand, West Indies, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe have agreed to play the World XI tournament in Pakistan, however, India has declined to send its players to Pakistan," the Dawn quoted Sethi as saying.

The 15-man squad led by former Zimbabwe skipper Andy Flower as coach will undergo a seven day camp in Dubai before travelling to Lahore for a three-match T20 series starting from September 10.

"A security team from ICC will visit Pakistan at the end of this month to view our security plans," Sethi said.

He added that all the matches would take place in Lahore, "even though it is my wish that we conduct some matches in Karachi."

It should be noted that no Test side has toured Pakistan since March 2009 militants attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team bus in Lahore, killing six Pakistani policemen and injuring some of the visiting players.

However, low-ranked sides, namely Afghanistan and Zimbabwe, had toured the country for a limited-over series.