Lahore: Pakistan beat the touring World XI Friday by 33 runs in the third and final T20I here to lift the Independence Cup trophy 2-1 and thrill home fans excited by the return of international cricket.
Buoyed by a 102-run second-wicket stand between opener Ahmed Shehzad (89, 55b, 8×4, 3×6) and batsman Babar Azam (48, 31b, 5×4), Pakistan reached 183 for four before restricting the star-studded World XI team led by South African captain Faf du Plessis to 150 for eight.
“We are over the moon. The people of Pakistan are delirious. We think that we have opened the door for the return of international cricket,” Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Najam Sethi informed.
Sri Lanka have agreed to visit Pakistan for one match at the end of September and West Indies are planning to send a team later in the year, Sethi said.
ICC sceptical
Dubai: The ICC Saturday ruled out an overnight miraculous return of international cricket to Pakistan even though it was satisfied with the successful staging of the Independence Cup in Lahore. “Returning full-time international cricket back to Pakistan is not going to be an overnight miracle. It has to take time. The PSL final was the first step, this is the second,” ICC Chief Executive David Richardson said in a video message.
reuters
