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Road Safety World Series (Source: Twitter)
The Road Safety World Series, a T20 league featuring former international cricketers from around the world, will feature nine teams from the upcoming edition as Pakistan looks set to mark its presence in the tournament. A Pakistani team will feature in the competition for the first time when the third season will be played in September this year.
The league was started in March 2020 but had to be postponed to next year after four matches due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Both seasons were held in India, so due to geopolitical tensions between the host country and Pakistan, there was no team from Pakistan till now. The 2023 season will be played in England after the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) gave the nod, and Pakistan is reportedly set to make its debut in the league.
The first season featured teams from India, Sri Lanka, South Africa, West Indies and Australia. But when the tournament resumed in Raipur in 2021, Australia Legends pulled out of the event, citing pandemic-related travel restrictions. They only played one match against Sri Lanka and had to replace them with Bangladesh Legends, who were joined in the second half along with England Legends.
India Legends were crowned champions in both seasons
The second season was played in September 2022 in Dehradun and Raipur and saw the participation of eight teams, with Australia returning to the league and New Zealand making their debut. India Legends won both seasons by defeating Sri Lanka Legends in the final in Raipur. Although the dates for the upcoming edition have not been announced, the league is learned to be held from early September onwards.
The Road Safety World Series was founded by Ravi Gaikwad, Chief Road Traffic Officer, Thane in association with the Indian Cricket Board, and is played every year to raise awareness about road safety. Several renowned cricketers, including Sachin Tendulkar, Kevin Pietersen, Sanath Jayasuriya, Shane Watson, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Yuvraj Singh, Brian Lara, Jonty Rhodes, and Shane Bond, are taking part in the tournament.