PCB plans to host World XI for 3 years

Lahore, Sept 13: Hours after Pakistan defeated the World XI in the first game by 20 runs at the Gaddafi Stadium here, marking the revival of intertiol cricket in the country, an elated Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman jam Sethi said the World XI will tour Pakistan every year for the next two years also.

“The World XI series is now planned for every year for three years. This is the first of the three series and there will be two more in the next years,” Sethi was quoted as saying by The Guardian newspaper.

“Once this (World XI tour) is done, the Sri Lankans have committed to play one or two matches in Lahore next month and then the West Indies have committed to me that they will come for three matches in November.

“If there is no untoward incident that mars any of these events then I’d imagine by next year at least one or two big teams will come to Pakistan,” he hoped.

Sethi claimed that the country has successfully tackled the mece of terrorism, which he felt will help in bringing in more intertiol teams to play in Pakistan.

“Now we can say with assurance that the war against terrorism has been taken to its logical conclusion and that 90-95 percent of terrorism has abated in this country,” he said.

“A sufficient condition was to convince the intertiol community in general and the ICC in particular that the situation was safe to play cricket.

“First step in that direction was to at least try and play at least one match in Pakistan, which is why I fought tooth and il to have the PSL fil in Lahore”, he added. (IANS)