Sports FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2017 ICC backing Pakistan’s bid to host full cricket series LAHORE: World cricket’s governing body wants international teams back in Pakistan after an eight-year absence due to security concerns but cautioned that it could be a “long process.” The Pakistan Cricket Board is currently hosting a three-match Twenty20 series between Pakistan and a World XI in Lahore amid heavy security. “ICC has already agreed to invest in security and develop security capabilities (of Pakistan) for a three-year period,” International Cricket Council chief executive David Richardson said Wednesday. “Certainly I think the intention would be to bring member countries to tour Pakistan, not a World XI tour, and that would be the ideal to have international cricket return to Pakistan in normal circumstances.” Richardson said it was too early to say when the PCB could host a full bilateral series and organize international games in other big cities like Karachi and Rawalpindi. “It’s a long process,” Richardson said. “This is a stepping stone in the right direction. I think the next step is to improve capabilities to areas and cities outside of Lahore itself.” Only Zimbabwe has toured Pakistan for a short limited-overs series in 2015 since an attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore in 2009. But Lahore is expected to host four T20 internationals over the next two months ó a one-off match against Sri Lanka and a three-match series against West Indies in November. The ICC will give the PCB $1.1 million over the next three years to improve security and will also share its expertise. ICC security experts are in Lahore, monitoring arrangements to protect the World XI team. Fourteen players from seven coun- tries ó South Africa, Australia, England, West Indies, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and New Zealand ó formed the World XI which is led by South Africa’s Faf du Plessis. Richardson explained why no Indian player was part of the World XI team. “The fact is LAHORE: World XI batsman Hashim Amla, right, runs between the wickets with his partner Thisara Perera during the sec- you can’t ignore the situation that exists between India and ond Twenty20 match at the Gaddafi Cricket Stadium. — AP Pakistan at a political level,” he said. —AP Amla, Perera power World XI to 7-wicket win vs Pakistan LAHORE: Hashim Amla smashed a but was trapped leg before wicket by 19th over as Pakistan slipped to 157-5. half century and Thisara Perera provid- West Indies leg-spinner Samuel Badree Pakistan’s experienced batsman Malik ed an excellent finish with a 19-ball 47 (2-31). Badree was one of two changes (39) lifted the total when he hit as World XI defeated Pakistan by sev- made by World XI along with England’s Cutting for two sixes in his 23-ball en wickets in the second Twenty20 Paul Collingwood - playing his first knock. international on Wednesday. “Hash international since retiring in 2011. Malik, playing in his 88th T20 inter- (Amla) told me to stay till the last Top-scorer Babar Zaman (45), who national, became Pakistan’s highest moment because we can catch up,” hit a career-best 86 in the first game scorer in the format and surpassed man-of-the-match Perera said. “It’s a on Tuesday, and Ahmed Shehzad (43) Umar Akmal’s total of 1,690 runs LAHORE: Pakistani cricket fans watch a match between habit for me to be in this situation.” added 59 runs off 39 balls before both before he holed out off the last ball. World XI and Pakistan at Gaddafi stadium.— AP Amla hit five fours and two sixes in holed out in the deep while looking to “We were a little sloppy today in the his unbeaten 72 off 55 balls, but it was accelerate the run rate. Perera then field,” Ahmed said. “The score was Perera’s explosive knock which includ- accounted for the wickets of Imad good enough, but if the execution was ed four sixes that got World XI to the Wasim (15) and dismissed captain better in defending, we would have Dhawan to miss first target of 175-3 in 19.5 overs. Pakistan, Sarfraz Ahmed without scoring in the pulled it off.” — AP three Australia ODIs which was restricted to 174-6, looked on top in the 14th over when it dis- SCOREBOARD NEW DELHI: India opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan has missed captain Faf du Plessis for 106- been released from the team for the first three one-day 3. But Perera took charge in the last Scoreboard at the end of the second Twenty20 international between Pakistan internationals against Australia to tend to his unwell wife, five overs as he cut loose against and World XI at the Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday: the country’s cricket board (BCCI) said yesterday. Pakistan seamers Sohail Khan and Pakistan World XI “Dhawan has requested to be released from the team for Rumman Raees. Fakhar Zaman lbw b Badree 21 the first three ODIs... to attend to his wife, who is unwell,” Still needing 33 runs off the last T Iqbal c Malik b Sohail Khan 23 Ahmed Shehzad c Miller b Tahir 43 the BCCI said in a statement. two overs, Perera and Amla took 20 off Hashim Amla not out 72 Babar Zaman c Miller b Badree 45 The hosts would not name a replacement for the left- Sohail’s 19th over that saw Shoaib Tim Paine b Wasim 10 S Malik c Collingwood b Cutting 39 handed batsman, with Ajinkya Rahane and KL Rahul both Malik dropping the Sri Lankan left- F Plessis c Shadab Khan b Nawaz 20 Imad Wasim c Tahir b Perera 15 able to play at the top. Dhawan had also missed the last hander’s easy catch at long off. Perera Thisara Perera not out 47 Sarfraz Ahmed c Tahir b Perera 0 ODI and the one-off Twenty20 in Sri Lanka to fly home to ensured World XI takes the series to Sohail Khan not out 1 Extras: (1lb, 2w) 3 tend to his sick mother. He scored an unbeaten 132 and the decisive game Friday when he Extras: (1lb, 1nb, 8w) 10 TOTAL: (for 3 wickets) 175 49 in the first two ODIs against Sri Lanka but then man- reached victory in style by hoisting TOTAL: (for 6 wickets) 174 Overs: 19.5 aged nine runs in the third and fourth match. Virat Kohli’s left-armer Raees over the long-on Overs: 20. Fall of wickets: 1-47, 2-71, 3-106 India will face Australia in the first ODI in Chennai on boundary. Pakistan won the first Fall of wickets: 1-41, 2-100, 3-135, 4- Did not bat: David Miller, Paul Sunday before matches in Kolkata and Indore. Dhawan is match by 20 runs on Tuesday but 156, 5-157, 6-174 expected to return for the final two games in Bengaluru struggled to contain World XI’s strong Collingwood, Ben Cutting, Samuel Did not bat: Mohammad Nawaz, and Nagpur before the two teams take part in a three- batting line-up after its frontline fast Badree, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir Shadab Khan, Usman Shinwari, match Twenty20 series. bowler Hasan Ali was ruled out of Bowling: Imad Wasim 4-0-27-1, Wednesday’s game due to back strain. Rumman Raees Sohail Khan 4-0-44-1 (1w), Usman Bowling: Morne Morkel 4-0-20-0 (3w), India squad for first three ODIs: Earlier, Pakistan’s top order bats- Shinwari 1-0-10-0, Rumman Raees Ben Cutting 4-0-52-1 (2w), Samuel Virat Kohli (Captain), Rohit Sharma (vice-captain), KL men couldn’t convert good starts after Badree 4-0-31-2 (1w), Paul 3.5-0-36-0 (1w), Mohammad Nawaz Rahul, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Ajinkya Rahane, MS captain Sarfraz Ahmed won the toss Collingwood 2-0-18-0 (1w), Thisara 3-0-25-1, Shadab Khan 4-0-32-0 Dhoni (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep and opted to bat first. Left-hander Perera 3-0-23-2 (1nb), Imran Tahir 3-0- Result: World XI won by 7 wickets. Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Fakhar Zaman (21) hit Australian 29-1 (1w) Series: 1-1 with a game left. Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami. —Reuters seamer Ben Cutting for three bound- aries in the second over of the innings.