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Big names rumoured for World XI tour

A pair of former Test captains mentioned as Pakistan Cricket Board look to lock in three-match T20 series

Former Australia captain Michael Clarke and Proteas batting superstar Hashim Amla are among the names who could feature in a World XI side set to visit Pakistan in September.

While the Pakistan Cricket Board is still awaiting official security clearance from the Punjab government for the tour to go ahead, the proposal involves a three-match T20 series against the Pakistan national team, which would be recognised as full internationals by the ICC.

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"Andy Flower will be the coach of the touring World XI side," PCB chairman Shahryar Khan said on Pakistan television, before adding he had "heard that Hashim Amla, Michael Clarke, along with New Zealander Luke Ronchi and Australian Tim Paine, are going to be part of the team".

Only a 2015 tour by Zimbabwe, which included three ODIs and two T20Is, has broken a run of more than eight years without international cricket in Pakistan, since a Sri Lanka team bus was attacked by gunmen in Lahore.

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However, a successful staging of the Pakistan Super League final at the Gaddafi Stadium in the same city in March this year led to the head of the ICC's Pakistan task team Giles Clarke to conceiving of the idea of a World XI tour, which has since gathered momentum as the PCB look to encourage the return of international teams to their war-torn country.

"I have spoken to (the government) but I'm waiting for a final word," said Khan, "which I am hopeful to receiving in time so that we can make all (required) arrangements for the tour."

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The acquisitions of Clarke and Amla would be two significant drawcards to the tour, with both players boasting glittering international records, however following the initial publication of this story on cricket.com.au, Clarke said on Twitter that the prospect was "news to me".

Clarke led defending World Cup champions Australia to that title in 2015, before bowing out of Test cricket later the same year with more than 8,000 runs to his name in the five-day format, while Amla remains one of the world's preeminent batsmen, ranked in the top 10 in both Test and ODI cricket.

The proposed tour would run from September 12-19.