Faf to captain T20 World XI in Pakistan
JOHANNESBURG: Faf du Plessis will captain a World XI in a three-match T20 series in Pakistan next month as top-level cricket returns to the country, the ICC confirmed yesterday.
Du Plessis, 33, is one of five South Africans named in a 14-man squad released on the ICC Twitter feed.
The squad includes representatives from seven nations for the games, which will have international status, in Lahore on 12, 13 and 15 September. Hashim Amla, Morne Morkel, David Miller and Imran Tahir are the other South Africans.
Three Australians – George Bailey, Ben Cutting and Tim Paine – have been selected alongside two West Indians and one player each from England, Bangladesh, New Zealand and Sri Lanka.
Former Zimbabwe captain Andy Flower will coach the squad.
Pakistan have played most of their home games in the UAE over the past eight years because of security concerns.
Barring a short visit by Zimbabwe two years ago, Pakistan has been starved of international cricket since 2009, when gunmen attacked a bus carrying Sri Lankan players in Lahore, wounding six players and killing six security staff and two civilians.
Punjab’s local government has promised watertight security for the World XI series.
The Pretoria Mavericks yesterday became the latest T20 Global League team to unveil their logo and colours, also revealing that their coach will be the man who recently vacated the Proteas hot seat, Russell Domingo.
Proteas batsman and local boy, AB de Villiers, is the team’s Protea marquee player.
Assisting Domingo will be two former Proteas players, Lance Klusener and Neil McKenzie. Former big-hitting international all-rounder Klusener will be the bowling coach, while McKenzie is on board as Domingo’s assistant coach.
De Villiers is looking forward to a successful T20 Global League campaign.
“Pretoria is a city close to my heart, and close to my family. I love playing at SuperSport Park,” says De Villiers.
“I can’t wait for the competition to get under way and the prospect of playing against my teammates.”
World XI squad: Faf du Plessis (capt, SA), Hashim Amla (SA), Samuel Badree (WI), George Bailey (Aus), Paul Collingwood (E), Ben Cutting (Aus), Grant Elliott (NZ), Tamim Iqbal (Ban), David Miller (SA), Morne Morkel (SA), Tim Paine (Aus), Thisara Perera (SL), Imran Tahir (SA), Darren Sammy (WI). – Reuters