Shahid Afridi To Captain ICC World XI As Eoin Morgan Withdraws Due To Injury

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi will lead the ICC World XI team against the West Indies in a fund-raising T20 charity match at the Lord's cricket ground on May 31. Morgan, who was supposed to the lead the side, will miss out on the game due to a fractured finger. Due to the injury, Morgan will be out of action for seven to 10 days. However, he will be fit to play in England's One-Day International against Scotland at Edinburgh on June 10. The Scotland clash is followed by five ODIs against Australia next month.

Andy Flower, the England and Wales Cricket Board's stand-in director, said on the ICC's official website: "It is not a bad crack but it is bad enough to keep him out of tomorrow's Middlesex game and the World XI game.

"It is not a huge concern, it is one we can hopefully manage past in about a week."

Earlier, India fast bowler Mohammed Shami replaced India all-rounder Hardik Pandya in the ICC World XI squad.

The World XI squad includes one player each from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka, and two players each from New Zealand and Pakistan.

The Windies, the reigning ICC World Twenty20 champions, will be led by Carlos Brathwaite. Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels, Samuel Badree and Andre Russell are among the other leading players in the squad.

All the proceeds from this match will be used to redevelop the stadia in the Caribbean, which were damaged due to hurricanes last year.

The venues that will benefit include the Ronald Webster Park in Anguilla, the Sir Viv Richards Stadium in Antigua, Windsor Park Stadium in Dominica, the A.O. Shirley Recreation Ground in the British Virgin Islands and the Carib Lumber Ball Park in St. Maarten.

(With AFP Inputs)