Pakistan exhibition T20s on despite name row

The organiser of two Twenty20 matches between an international XI and a Pakistan All Stars side Wednesday insisted they would go ahead despite the game's governing body objecting to the name of the touring team.

Pakistani cricket officials offer garlands to Sanath Jayasuriya, former Sri Lankan cricketer, upon his arrival at the Karachi International airport in Karachi yesterday. Sanath Jayasuriya arrived in Karachi to lead an all-stars XI in two Twenty20 matches against a Pakistan side, saying he hoped the games would help bring international cricket back to the troubled land. The former Sri Lanka star will skipper the International World XI, featuring former South African Test players Andre Nel and Nantie Hayward, against Pakistan All Stars, led by current all rounder Shahid Afridi. AFP

The two matches on Saturday and Sunday in Karachi are aimed at taking Pakistan a little further towards a resumption of home internationals, suspended since a deadly militant attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in March 2009.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) wrote to the PCB to say the visiting team could not use the "World XI" name. "The ICC doesn't permit the names World or World XI for exhibition matches," an ICC spokesman told AFP from Dubai. Mohammad Ali Shah, sports minister for Sindh province, said the matches were backed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and were aimed to restore international cricket in the country. Responding to the ICC's concerns, Shah said the matches would go ahead. "There is nothing controversial in it," Shah told AFP. "It will be an International World XI which is arriving early Thursday and the matches will go ahead as per schedule." Former Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya will lead the World XI, which also includes former players from South Africa and the West Indies.

The Pakistan All Stars will be led by current all-rounder Shahid Afridi and include Younis Khan, Nasir Jamshed, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Umar Gul, Mohammad Sami, Wahab Riaz and Imran Nazir.