"Overwhelmed with the love and support" - Babar Azam thanks Indian fans for rousing reception upon arrival for World Cup 2023
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam thanked fans for their overwhelming reception at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad. The Pakistan World Cup squad arrived in Hyderabad for the 2023 ODI World Cup on Wednesday evening.
Amidst visa issues, the Men in Green were finally cleared to land on Indian soil on Monday, September 25. The squad reached Hyderabad via Dubai two days before their first warm-up game against New Zealand. Pakistan last visited India way back in 2016 for the T20 World Cup.
Upon arrival, the players were cheered on by fans flogging outside the airport, and the Pakistan skipper could not thank them enough for the reception.
Hours after landing in India, Babar Azam took to his official Instagram handle and wrote:
"Overwhelmed by the love and support here in Hyderabad!"
Babar's teammates Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Afridi echoed the skipper's sentiments and thanked Indian fans for the warm welcome.
Pakistan will play two warm-up games in Hyderabad before the mega event against New Zealand on September 29 and Australia on October 3.
"All of us are proud of traveling for the World Cup" - Babar Azam
Skipper Babar Azam dismissed qualms about the pressure of not having played in India for several years before they departed from Pakistan.
The 28-year-old instead stated that the team had done sufficient research on the conditions in India and looked forward to clinching the World Cup trophy. Pakistan recently stuttered in the Asia Cup, failing to qualify for the final after losing to India and Sri Lanka in the Super Fours.
At the final press conference in Pakistan recently, Babar said:
"All of us are proud of travelling for the World Cup. Although we have not played in India before, we are not taking too much pressure. We have done our research and we have heard the conditions are similar to how they play out in other Asian countries. It is quite an honour for me to travel as the captain this time around, I hope we come back with a trophy this time."
The Men in Green last won the ODI World Cup in 1992 under the leadership of Imran Khan. They failed to reach the final four in the last edition, finishing fifth on the points table in 2019.
Pakistan will open their World Cup campaign against the Netherlands in Hyderabad on October 6.