Du Plessis to captain World XI against Pakistan, five SA players in line-up

THE PAKISTAN Cricket Board yesterday announced a star-studded 14-member World XI, which comprises players from seven Test playing countries and will be captained by South Africa’s Faf du Plessis.

The World XI will play three Twenty20 Internationals for the Independence Cup against Pakistan under lights at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on 12, 13 and 15 September.

The World XI includes five players from South Africa, three from Australia, two from the Windies, and one each from Bangladesh, England, New Zealand and Sri

(South Africa, captain), (SA), George Bailey (Australia), Paul Collingwood (England), Ben Cutting (Australia), Grant Elliott (New Zealand), Tamim Iqbal (Bangladesh), (SA), Tim Paine (Australia, wicketkeeper), Thisara Perera (Sri Lanka), Darren Sammy (West Indies), Samuel Badree (West Indies),

(SA), (SA)

Lanka.

Apart from du Plessis, who is South Africa’s Test captain, the World XI also includes England’s ICC World Twenty20 2010 winning captain Paul Collingwood, who scored 108* off 68 balls in a T20 Blast game against Worcester in July; Windies’ Darren Sammy, who inspired his side to ICC World Twenty20 titles in 2012 and 2016; former number-one ranked Test batsman Hashim Amla; Bangladesh’s explosive opener Tamim Iqbal; and Australia’s former ODI and T20I captain George Bailey.

David Miller of South Africa, who is considered as one of the best finishers in modern day cricket, as well as T20 International specialist Grant Elliott, who famously steered New Zealand to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 final with a last-ball six against South Africa in Auckland.