Pakistan takes on Windies in first T20 amid stringent security today

KARACHI (92 News) – Pakistan will take another significant step towards the revival of international cricket as Pakistan takes on Windies, the World Twenty20 champions, in the first T20 of the three-match series against the Caribbeans at National Cricket Stadium in Karachi today. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have put in place stringent security arrangements for the Windies team, with 8,000 policemen and paramilitary personnel guarding the visitors in and around the hotel and stadium. David Boon, one of the International Cricket Council (ICC) match referees, will supervise the series while Geoff Allardice, the ICC general manager cricket, and Adrian Griffith, the umpires’ manager, will also attend the matches to oversee arrangements. Food and mobile phone chargers will be barred from the stadium during matches. Authorities said the intense security measures would mirror those put in place for the recent Pakistan Super League (PSL) final, also staged in Karachi. “The International Cricket Council (ICC) has expressed satisfaction with the security arrangements for the PSL final and this time the authorities will ensure foolproof security again,” said Brigadier Shahid of the Sindh Rangers. In March, Karachi successfully hosted the final of the popular Pakistan Super League (PSL), becoming the second major venue to host international matches after Lahore hosted Zimbabwe in 2015. Lahore also hosted the PSL final in March last year, three World XI matches in September and one against Sri Lanka a month later. This year’s PSL final was the first major cricket event in Karachi since 2009. Sarfraz Ahmed, the Pakistan captain, said he was overjoyed at the return of international matches to his home city. “This is a great occasion,” said Sarfraz, the only player in the squad who has played a limited-overs international in Karachi before. “We saw a big crowd in the PSL final so I hope they will come in big numbers for the Twenty20 series.” Teams: Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (capt, wk), Ahmed Shehzad, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Hussain Talat, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali, Rahat Ali, Usman Khan Shinwari, Shaheen Shah Afridi. West Indies: Jason Mohammed (capt), Samuel Badree, Rayad Emrit, Andre Fletcher, Andre McCarthy, Keemo Paul, Veerasammy Permaul, Rovman Powell, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Marlon Samuels, Odean Smith, Chadwick Walton, Kesrick Williams.