Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and captain Babar Azam, three prominent Pakistani athletes, expressed gratitude for the team’s kind welcome as they landed in India.
On Wednesday, Men in Green travelled to its neighbour for the first time since 2016 while flying through Hyderabad under tight security ahead of the seven-week World Cup.
When the Pakistanis landed at the airport in the southern Indian city in preparation for the ODI tournament, which starts on October 5, enthusiastic spectators cheered and chanted the name of the team leader, Babar Azam. The police used restraint to control the crowd.
On Instagram, the captain of Pakistan tweeted that he was “overwhelmed with the love and support here in Hyderabad!”
On the opposite side, a well-known bowler named Shaheen Afridi posted on social media, “Great welcome thus far!”
Additionally, Rizwan was “amazed” by the fans’ response when they reached Hyderabad.
The two countries are strong adversaries and have long-running political disputes.
The games are typically played in countries that do not understand English, and the teams only face off against one another in international competitions.
48 games are contested over the course of 46 days at 10 different locations, with the title game set for November 19.
Pakistan has two exhibition games against New Zealand on September 29 and Australia on October 3, slated for Hyderabad.
However, because large crowds are expected for a Hindu holiday on Friday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced that the first warm-up will be a closed-door match “per the advice of the local security agencies”.
In the more than 130,000-seat Ahmedabad Stadium, Pakistan’s first World Cup encounter will be against the Netherlands. On October 14, Pakistan will play India.
India’s first campaign match will be against Australia on October 8. The eagerly anticipated game against Pakistan will thereafter follow.
The Pakistani team’s permits to visit India, according to Indian and Pakistani media, were approved on Monday, just 48 hours before their scheduled departure.
India has not responded to requests for comment over the visa requirements for Pakistani supporters.
