“They need to see their heroes play” – World XI stars honoured to play in Pakistan
The three-match Twenty20 International series between a World XI team and Pakistan will mark the return of international cricket to the country, and the pioneering players who are a part of the visiting side can’t wait for the action to begin, stressing that locals watching their heroes in the flesh would be fantastic for youngsters and go a long way toward improving Pakistan cricket.
There has been little international cricket in Pakistan since March 2009, when a bus carrying the visiting Sri Lankans was attacked. The only highs since have been a limited-overs tour by Zimbabwe in 2015 and the final of the Pakistan Super League earlier this year.
The three Pakistan v World XI games, to be played at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on September 12, 13 and 15, are being seen as a first step towards bringing top-draw cricket back to the country.
Hashim Amla, who played Test cricket in Pakistan back in October 2007, called being selected in the visiting team “an honour”.
“It’s been about 10 years since the last time I’ve been to Pakistan, and knowing that the Pakistanis haven’t had the great fortune of having cricket at home, to be part of this team that is going to Pakistan really feels like an honour,” said Amla. “The whole idea is to have a slow and safe return of international cricket back into Pakistan.
“I remember a couple of years ago, when there was a launch of the proposed ICC Test Championship, I bumped into Misbah on the stage, and thinking that even if you’re playing in Dubai and Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, it can’t be that bad. But he just mentioned ‘how would you feel if for 10 years you don’t play in your home grounds, how do you think the people … [would feel]’ and actually at that moment it just sort of resonated with me; understanding how difficult it is, and total credit to the Pakistan cricket team that over so many years it has been able to do really well.
“I think it is extremely important that cricket comes back to Pakistan, for the Pakistani people, for the interest of the game, for the people that are following the game the more interesting it will be, and also for the youngsters growing up, they need to see their heroes back.”
George Bailey, one of three Australians along with Tim Paine and Ben Cutting to make the trip, was waiting to get on the field and check one of the empty boxes in his cricketing CV. “I am 35 years old and there are not many places around the world that I have not played cricket and Pakistan is one of them, so I am really excited to get there and play against a team who are playing some really hot cricket, and some of my favorite guys to play against,” he said.
“It is really exciting for the Pakistanis. Personally, growing up and going to watch my heroes play in the flesh, to see Glenn McGrath bowl, to see Ricky Ponting bat, that was one of the main things that drove me to become a professional cricketer. So I think it is a huge opportunity for Pakistanis to see their own heroes in the flesh, and for a lot of the Pakistani team who haven't had an opportunity to play at home, which is quite phenomenal.”
For Cutting, it’s an opportunity to be part of history. “I want to look back in time 20 years from now and say that I was one of those to take international cricket back to Pakistan and the benefit of doing it under the World XI will hopefully bring everyone together in the country to play cricket and say international cricket can work in Pakistan, and hopefully that paves the way for a couple more tours to come,” he offered.
Miller, who has compatriots Amla, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir, and Faf du Plessis, the team captain, for company in World XI, was cautiously optimistic as far as the future was concerned. “Pakistan are a formidable team in the world stage and we are yet to play there. So for me, this is just an opportunity to go and outstretch my opportunities playing in different conditions,” he said.
“We will have to wait and see how successful it is going to be, but so far, everything that's taken place, everything that's been briefed to us, everything seems like its going to be very very successful. I think if it kicks off very well, it’s going to be a huge boost for cricket and for Pakistan. It’s a massive occasion and the guys are really looking forward to something like this in the first steps of moving it forward for Pakistan cricket.”