LAHORE: World XI skipper Faf du Plessis won the toss and sent Pakistan into bat in the first of three Twenty20 internationals at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Tuesday.
The series, only the second international in Pakistan since 2009, is part of efforts to revive international cricket in the country.
Pakistan also hosted Zimbabwe in 2015.
Pakistan had been forced to play international matches on neutral venues in United Arab Emirates since a 2009 terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore, after which foreign teams had refused to tour due to security concerns.
Teams:
Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Fakhar Zaman, Ahmed Shehzad, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Sohail Khan, Fahim Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Rumman Raees
World XI: Faf du Plessis (captain), Hashim Amla, Ben Cutting, Grant Elliott, Tamim Iqbal, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Tim Paine, Thisara Perera, Imran Tahir, Darren Sammy
Umpires: Aleem Dar (PAK) and Ahsan Raza (PAK)
TV umpire: Shozab Raza (PAK)
ICC match referee: Richie Richardson (WI)