PAK vs WXI, Independence Cup T20 – As it happened...

New Delhi: Team Pakistan is all geared up to take on the World XI side led by South African batsman Faf du Plessis for the first of the three T20 matches at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, on Tuesday. But what makes it significant is that the match will mark the return of international cricket to Pakistan. ( TV Listing and Where to watch it online? || Live Scorecard )

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WORLD XI; Target 198 

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Over 20 | Score 177/7 | Cutting 0 (0) ; Sammy 28 (16)

Last 12 deliveries to go and the World XI side needed 47 more to win. This means the tourists need around 24 runs from both the overs. Can they? Raees in for his final over. Third ball, slower ball picked up over midwicket for a six. Another six, this time over long-on. 13 from the over.

Last over to go, 34 to win. And Sammy whacked the shorter delivery for a six over square-leg. What a start! And out! Run-out mishap and Perera departed. Boundary to end the over, but World XI loses by 20 runs.  

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Over 18 | Score 151/6 | Perera 16 (10) ; Sammy 4 (5)

Sohail in for his final over as the World XI side need 59 runs to win from the last four overs remaining. First ball, fullish delivery, down to the leg side and Elliot edged it down to the fine leg fence for a boundary. Four boundaries in a row from the visitors. Third ball, eyeing yet another boundary, Elliot fired the outside off delivery down the off side only to find Wasim at covers. That was a slow ball again and it did its magic. Darren Sammy walked in next. Nine off the over.

Another 50 to go from 18 deliveries as Hasan Ali returns back to attack.  

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Over 16 | Score 139/5 | Perera 14 (6) ; Elliot 8 (5)

Rumman Raees back in for his second over. 74 runs to win from 30 deliveries. Fourth ball, Perera smacked the delivery through midwicket for a boundary. They surely need more of that. And he did it, through long-off, for another four. And a four to end the over.  

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Over 15 | Score 124/5 | Perera 1 (1) ; Elliot 7 (4)

Shadab in for his third over. Third ball, mistimed shot to the fullish delivery as Faf was found at deep midwicket. Huge, huge dismissal by the home side. David Miller walked in next.

Sohail back in for his third over. 91 runs more needed from 41 deliveries. Third ball and another batsman goes down. Slower delivery, and Tim Paine failed to read it and Raees took it in the deep.

Grant Elliott walked in next. Three off the over.

Shadab in for his final over. Fifth ball, googly, deceived Miller and Sarfraz did his job behind the stumps. Perera , the new batsman to follow in.  

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Over 12 | Score 100/2 | Paine 20 (21) ; du Plessis 29 (16)

130 more to go from the remaining 10 overs. Shadab in for his second over. Fourth ball, Paine ramped up a six over mid-on. 10 off the over.

Required run rate is now well above 13 for the tourists. Hasan Ali in for his second over. First ball, outside off stump as du Plessis scooped it ravishingly over short fine for a boundary. Third ball, another cheeky scoop by the skipper and the ball whistled down to third man for a boundary again. Six to follow. Down the track and a maximum. Faf making it count for the World XI side. Four again, this time down extra cover. 22 off the over. 100 up for the tourists.  

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Over 10 | Score 68/2 | Paine 12 (17) ; du Plessis 9 (8)

Shadab Khan in for his first over. Gives away just two runs.

Wasim in for his final over as tourists look to pile up 138 runs from 66 deliveries. Skipper ended the over with a boundary to the long-off.  

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Over 8 | Score 58/2 | Paine 9 (11) ; du Plessis 2 (2)

Skipper Faf du Plessis stepped in next. Change in attack as Fahim Ashraf stepped in for his first. First ball, shorter, down to the lef stump as Paine pulled it elegantly down to fine leg for a boundary. Seven off the over.

Wasim back in for his third over. Three runs from it.  

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Over 6 | Score 48/2 | Paine 1 (1) ; 0 (0)

Change in attack as Hasan Ali stepped in for his first over. The Champions Trophy hero, can he stop the openers? Two back-to-back boundaries by Amla. 10 off the over.

Another new bowler into the attack – Rumman Raees. Punished with a boundary by Tamim, but the pacer gets his revenge. Clean bowled on the very next delivery. First wicket for the hosts. Tim Paine walked in next. Last ball, slower delivery as Amla chipped it straight to Imad Wasim at extra cover. Raees got both the openers in just one over. Excellent from the hosts!  

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Over 4 | Score 29/0 | Tamim 13 (15) ; Amla 13 (9)

Wasim in for his second over. Fifth ball, short and into the crowds. Six from Amla. Seven off the over.

Sohail continues. Two back-to-back boundaries by Tamim. 11 off the over.  

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Over 2 | Score 11/0 | Tamim 3 (9) ; Amla 6 (3)

Tamim and Amla are out at the crease while Imad Wasim started off with the new ball. Four off the over.

Sohail Khan in for the second over. Third ball, back of the length delivery as Amla fired it down mid-on for a boundary. Seven off the over.  

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Over 20 | Score 197/5 | Wasim 15 (4) ; Fahim 0 (1)

Imad Wasim is the new batsman. Cutting in for his final over only to be punished by Malik with two back-to-back boundaries. And another boundary down to the leg side. He rampages through. 190+ seems easy now, doesn't it? 15 from the over.

Perera in for the final over. Six, smoked it into the crowd. Excellent timing with the bat. Malik! Out! Clean bowled! A total of 200, no more. Debutant Fahim Ashraf walked in next. Fourth ball, full toss slapped for a six. Imad Wasim! That is trouble for the tourists! Six to finish the over. That puts forth a massive total of 198 runs. Huhe over for Pakistan. Happy ending indeed, to their batting.

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Over 18 | Score 161/4 | 0 (0) ; Malik 18 (13)

Morkel in for his final over. Six singles off the over.

Perera back into the attack. 150 up for the hosts. Third ball, well outsuide off, fuller, and Malik smacked it over mid-off for a huge six. Four to follow. Cut through point for a boundary. Last ball, back of the length delivery, down the offside as Sarfraz leaped high for an upper cut. Edged it and the keeper took it behind. 4 down now.  

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Over 16 | Score 143/3 | Sarfraz 0 (0) ; Malik 4 (6)

Cutting in for his third over. Shehzad wanted a biggy but was found at deep backward square by Sammy. Big, big wicket for the World XI side. Shoaib Malik stepped in next.

Tahir in for his final over. Fifth ball, Azam goes for a biggy, but failed to cover the long-off distance as Miller took it comfortably in the deep. Skipper Sarfraz Ahmed stepped in next.  

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Over 14 | Score 130/1 | Babar 82 (47) ; Shehzad 39 (33)

Morkel returned for his third over. Fourth ball, length ball, ramped over extra cover for a boundary. Azam now has a career-best T20I score with his previous best as 55. 11 off the over.

Sammy back in for his second over. Fifth ball, little up the length, dow to the lg side as Azam whipped it over square-leg for a six.  

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Over 12 | Score 106/1 | Babar 64 (40) ; Shehzad 33 (28)

Tahir in next. His third over. Last ball, Bbar shimmied down the track to dispatch the ball straight into the crowd. He is on fire! Unstoppable tonight!

Chang in attack as Darren Sammy stepped in for his first over. And punished by Shehzad of the very first delivery with a boundary down to the fine leg region. 100 up for the home team. And the over ended with a boundary.  

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Over 10 | Score 85/1 | Babar 51 (34) ; Shehzad 25 (22)

Tahir returned for his second over to give away six runs from the six deliveries bowled.

Elliot in for his second over. First ball, off-cutter down the off side as Azam cut it elegantly to the third man region for a boundary. Two singles more as the Azam notched up his T20 fifty.

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Over 8 | Score 70/1 | Babar 42 (26) ; Shehzad 19 (17)

Cutting continued into his second over. Azam punished him with two back-to-back boundaries. Impressive indeed from the youngster! 50 run partnership up for the duo. 13 from the over.

Change in attack once again as Grant Elliott stepped in next. Fourth ball, up the length delivery, swung across to the leg side as Shehzad drifted it down to fine leg for a boundary.  

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Over 6 | Score 49/1 | Babar 28 (19) ; Shehzad 12 (13)

Change in attack as Ben Cutting stepped in for the fifth over. Gave away seven runs.

Spinner Imran Tahir introduced. Second ball, fullish down the off as Azam drove it down the covers with a powerful punch for a boundary.  

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Over 4 | Score 34/1 | Babar 19 (13) ; Shehzad 7 (7)

Morkel back in for his second over. Gave away just three runs.

Perera in for the fourth over. Fourth ball, length ball, down the off side as the ball edged off the bat to pierce through the slip region for a boundary. Last ball, Shehzad smashed it through midwicket for a four.  

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Over 2 | Score 21/1 | Babar 12 (5) ; Shehzad 1 (3)

Fakhar Zaman and Ahmed Shehzad stepped in to open the innings while Morne Morkel warmed up with the new ball. Zaam started off fiercely with two back-to-back boundaries but fell immediately a delivery later. Fourth ball, outside off, back of the length as the opener edged it straight to Hashim Amla at slip. Babar Azam walked in next.

Thisara Perera shared the new ball for the second over. Azam ramped two back-to-back boundaries and both whistled down to the fine leg fence.  

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World XI (Playing XI): Tamim Iqbal, Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis(c), David Miller, Grant Elliott, Thisara Perera, Tim Paine(w), Ben Cutting, Darren Sammy, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir

Pakistan (Playing XI): Ahmed Shehzad, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed(w/c), Imad Wasim, Fahim Ashraf, Shadab Khan, Sohail Khan, Hasan Ali, Rumman Raees

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TOSS TIME: Faf du Plessis wins the toss and elects to bowl first 

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The home side's national selection committer picked up a 16-member squad that they reckon is fit enough to take down the World XI side for the Independence Cup in a three-match T20 series. The other two are scheduled on September 13 and September 15 at the same venue.

Du Plessis-led side had a weeks training session in Dubai before landing in Lahore for the tournament. The team has players from seven Test playing nations with Hashim Amla, Paul Collingwood, and Darren Sammy being the few others. In total there are five from the Proteas side, three from Australia, two from West Indies and one each from England, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and New Zealand.

Apart from Zimbabwe in 2015, no other Test playing side has visited Pakistan since the 2009 terrorist attack on the touring Sri Lankan team. The match ergo holds of great importance.