Pakistan vs World XI: 5 Pakistani players who will be keenly watched
Cricket is set to return to Pakistan after a hiatus of nine years. After the terror attack on the Sri Lankan players in 2009, no international team has come to Pakistan to play in a bilateral series due to security reasons.
Things slowly started moving in the right direction though as the final of the Pakistan Super League (PSL)’s second edition took place at the iconic Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
Many prominent international players took part in the PSL and expressed happiness with the security measures put in place for the tournament. This played a part in convincing the ICC to finally bring cricket back to Pakistan.
In a landmark, historic decision, a World XI comprising many elite, prominent players from various international teams, to be captained by Faf du Plessis and coached by Andy Flower, will face Pakistan in three T20s in the upcoming week.
A big moment for Pakistan cricket and a moment for their fans to cherish as cricket finally returns to the country on a more permanent basis.
Here are 5 Pakistan players who will be keenly watched:
#5 Sarfraz Ahmed
Sarfraz Ahmed took over the captaincy of the Pakistan ODI and T20 teams when they were going through a really torrid time. They were ranked eighth in ODIs and their qualification for the ICC World Cup in 2019 was not confirmed.
Amidst such situations, not unknown to Pakistan cricket, Sarfraz Ahmed has shown grit and has been able to lead this team to some success.
He is a pretty handy batsman who has helped Pakistan win some tough games with his own style of batting which is not too fancy on the eye.
Pakistan, ever since Kamran Akmal flattered to deceive with both the bat and the wicket-keeping gloves, needed to look for a more stable option as a wicket-keeper-batsman. Sarfraz seems to have filled that hole in all three formats rather well.
He was primarily responsible for them reaching the finals of the ICC Champions Trophy held in England.
His leadership skills, coupled with the way he rotated the bowlers, was instrumental in helping Pakistan create history by beating India comprehensively in the Champions Trophy final.
Everybody would be keenly looking forward to seeing how he handles his men in front of the boisterous, emotional crowds at home in Lahore during their series against the World XI.