Lahore: Cricket will take centre stage when Pakistan takes on the World XI at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore in the first Twenty20 International, here today.

The build-up to the three-match series, with the second and third games on Wednesday and Friday, also in Lahore, has been all about the security arrangements in the backdrop of reviving international cricket in the country.

It would have a truly global event had there been even a single player from India, but as Andy Flower, the World XI coach, rightly reasoned, busy schedules and the political situation didn’t allow that to happen.

Under Sarfraz Ahmed, Pakistan has shown the right kind of energy level and passion. Sarfraz accepted that the occasion was overwhelming for the players, but they are now thinking of building on the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 success.

Pakistan, however, will be without Mohammad Amir, whose wife is expecting their first child in London. That will deplete the bowling department.

For World XI, it will be tough as it has excellent players to choose from but few that have played together. The five South Africans in the side – Faf du Plessis, the captain, Hashim Amla, David Miller, Imran Tahir and Morne Morkel – will solve that problem if they all play. Bangladesh’s Tamim Iqbal has been in good form too so one could expect fireworks at the outset.

But a bigger concern for  World XI will be the lack of fast bowling options. It only has Morkel’s express pace to go with the less threatening pace of Ben Cutting, Darren Sammy and Thisara Perera.

That said, World XI has two quality T20l spinners in Samuel Badree and Tahir. Whether they can have an impact remains to be seen, though, as Pakistani batsmen have a good record against spinners at home.

Teams

Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed(c), Fakhar Zaman, Ahmed Shehzad, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Umar Amin, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Fahim Ashraf , Hasan Ali, Aamer Yamin, Mohammad Amir, Rumman Raees, Usman Khan, Sohail Khan

World XI Squad: Faf du Plessis(c), David Miller, Morne Morkel, Tim Paine, Thisara Perera, Imran Tahir, Darren Sammy, Hashim Amla, Grant Elliott, Samuel Badree, George Bailey, Tamim Iqbal, Paul Collingwood, Ben Cutting.