Pakistan celebrated the return of International cricket to their country after a hiatus of eight years with a 20-run victory over World Xi on Tuesday. Both teams will now play their second match in the contest on September 13, 2017, at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. The match is crucial for the World XI, as a loss here will give Pakistan an unassailable lead in the series. The match will begin at 7.30 PM IST.
The toss will take place at 7:00 pm PST.
Final scores - World XI win by 7 wickets series tied 1-1
World XI 175/3 in 19.5 overs
Pakistan 174/6 in 20 overs.
Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat
The series has been accredited as official as the players involved are all from countries that play international cricket.
The score of 190 plus that Pakistan scored batting first is proof that the pitch is flat and batting friendly. Another run fest is expected today.
It was Babar Azam who scored 86 runs off 52 balls who laid the platform for Pakistan's victory in the first match. Ahmed Shehzad (39) and Shoaib Malik (38) too gave valuable additions to the Pakistan scoreboard which helped them to put up a competitive 197 on the board.
Even though expensive with an economy of more than 12, Thisara Perera picked two wickets for the World XI.
Chasing a big total, the ICC World XI fell 20 runs short of their target. It was Darren Sammy who performed well for their side, as he scored a scintillating 29 at a strike rate of 181. Hashim Amla, Tim Paine, and Faf du Plessis all got a good start, but three of them failed to build the innings which finally resulted in the team's failure.
Sohail Khan was the pick among the lots in the Pakistani bowling card. The dashing fast bowler picked two crucial World XI wickets by conceding just 28 runs in a four-over spell.
Both the teams are expected to stick on to the same playing eleven that played the first match as they gear up for the second T20.
Pitch and weather conditions
The surface at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore is flat, and it will be a perfect paradise for the batsmen. The ball will directly come on to the bat, and in all probabilities, this second T20 will be a high scoring one, just like the first game. The weather is perfect, and there is absolutely no chance of rain.
Television telecast and online streaming details
DSports is telecasting this game in India. For accessing the live scores, visit the websites of ESPN Cricinfo and Cricbuzz.
In Pakistan, the match will be shown live on PTV Sports. For the live streaming, visit the official website of ptv sports. Viewers in the US can watch the match live on Willow Tv.