South Africa's Faf du Plessis captained the World XI team,[5] with Sarfaraz Ahmed leading Pakistan.[6] Ten of the players in the Pakistan squad had not previously played in an international match at home.[7] The World XI side arrived in Lahore a day before the first fixture under high security.[8] The cup was named in commemoration of Pakistan's 70th year of independence.[9]
The PCB spent an estimated $3 million to host the three matches, with players on the World XI team being paid approximately $100,000 each.[13] The ICC contributed more than $1 million towards security costs.[13] While attendance for the first two matches were as high as 90%, this was down on the crowd numbers for the final of the 2017 Pakistan Super League.[14] Higher ticket pricing was to blame for the drop in attendance, with some tickets being given to local schools as a result.[14] The ICC and PCB looked at the possibility for further World XI tours to Pakistan in the next two years, with the priority for more Full Member sides to tour.[15]
Following the conclusion of the series, Faf du Plessis said how much it meant for the people of Pakistan and that it hopefully will bring cricket back to the country.[16] Sarfraz Ahmed said that he was thankful to the World XI team and that "I expect these players to return back to Pakistan with full squads to play a full Test series".[17] The ICC congratulated Pakistan for hosting the tournament, with the aim to get bilateral international cricket returning to Pakistan.[18] The following month, the Sri Lanka cricket team played a T20I in Lahore against Pakistan.[19]
