Test cricket great Andy Flower has expressed excitement over seeing Pakistani and Indian cricketers together in the upcoming ICC World XI encounter.
“The feeling is generated because the intent behind everyone’s involvement is for good and you get some really amazing side benefits as well. For instance, here we’ve got Pakistanis and Indians sharing a dressing room that doesn’t happen very often,” said Flower, the ICC World XI head coach, quoted ICC.
Pakistani players including Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik will play alongside India’s Mohammad Shami and Dinesh Karthik. The proceeds from the upcoming World XI vs West Indies charity match will be used to redevelop the stadia in the Caribbean, which were damaged due to hurricanes last year.
“The hurricanes Irma and Maria hit the islands of Anguilla and Dominica eight months ago so perhaps this isn’t in the public consciousness as powerfully as it was back then. But after that happened, initially the West Indies Cricket Board and Giles Clarke talked together, and then the ICC and the MCC came together to put this event on to raise money to restore the cricket grounds in those islands,” Flower said.
Meanwhile, former Pakistan all-rounder Afridi has been named as World XI captain after England’s Eoin Morgan was ruled out from the charity match against West Indies due to injury. The match will take place at the historic Lord’s on May 31.
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