Champions in 1992 Pakistan, led by captain Babar Azam, arrived in Hyderabad on the night of Wednesday, September 27, with heavy security measures in place for their ODI World Cup campaign which commences on October 6 against the Netherlands.
The team touched down at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport around 8.15 p.m. and was escorted to their hotel with stringent security arrangements in place. This marks Pakistan's first visit to India since the 2016 T20 World Cup.
In the coming days, Pakistan will play two World Cup warm-up matches at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Uppal — one against New Zealand on September 29 and another against Australia on October 3.
Pakistan's first World Cup match is scheduled against The Netherlands on October 6, followed by another match against Sri Lanka on October 10.
Many of the Pakistani players were also left in awe at the way they were greeted upon their arrival in the country.
In addition to Hyderabad, the Pakistan cricket team is scheduled to visit Bengaluru, Chennai, and Kolkata before heading to Ahmedabad for their highly-anticipated match against host India on October 14.
On Monday, September 25, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) expressed serious concerns to the ICC regarding the delayed travel of their national team to India, citing visa-related issues. The PCB noted that the prolonged wait for visa clearance from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad has already had a detrimental impact on their preparations for the upcoming 50-over tournament.
It's worth noting that due to the strained relations between the two nations, Pakistan and India only face each other in the Asia Cup and ICC tournaments.
Meanwhile, the second group of the New Zealand team (the first group arrived the previous night) has also reached the city.
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