Pakistan vs World XI 2nd Twenty20 today

LAHORE: Pakistan and visiting World XI team will play the second match of the three-match Twenty20 series at Gaddafi Stadium here on Wednesday night (tonight).

The home side won the first match against star-studded World XI team yesterday with local boy Babar Azam hitting a rapid 52-ball 86 to lead Pakistan to a good score of 197-5.

After eight years of isolation, Pakistan cricket team is playing against star-studded World XI team featuring international players before home crowd at Gaddafi Stadium.

A three-match Twenty20 (T20) series, titled Independence Cup, being viewed as beginning of the revival of international cricket in Pakistan.

A 13-member World XI squad led by South Africa’s Faf du Plessis, featuring five players from South Africa, three from Australia, two cricketers from West Indies and one each from New Zealand, England, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

The Twenty20 matches series has been accorded international status by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Pakistan, suffered a huge setback after March 2009 terrorist attack on visiting Sri Lankan team in Lahore that left seven players and staff members injured apart of killing of eight other people in the incident. The incident effectively closed the visits of international cricket and other sports teams in the country.

First Twenty20

Pakistan, sent into bat by World XI skipper Faf du Plessis in the first match of the series, notched 197-5 with Babar Azam hitting a rapid-fire 52-ball 86. His career best Twenty20 score had ten boundaries and two sixes.

Azam added 122 for the second wicket with Ahmed Shehzad (39) as Pakistan built on the loss of opener Fakhar Zaman for eight.

Shoaib Malik smashed a 20-ball 38 with two sixes and four boundaries to give the final touches to the innings.

The World XI started off well with Tamim Iqbal hitting 18 with three boundaries and Hashim Amla smashing three boundaries and a six in his 17-ball 26 but left-arm pacer Rumman Raees dismissed both in the same over to put the brakes on their innings

Skipper Faf du Plessis hit four boundaries and a six while Darren Sammy smashed three sixes — both scoring 29 — but were unable to see their team through.

For Pakistan, paceman Sohail Khan and leg-spinner Shadab Khan finished with two wickets apiece.