Former Pakistan leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed has made an explosive comment with regards to the national team playing in India in the upcoming 2023 World Cup. The 1992 World Cup-winning squad member reckons Pakistan will get plenty of support in cities like Hyderabad and Ahmedabad due to the large of population of Muslims.
Babar Azam and co. landed in Hyderabad, India on Wednesday (September 29th) to a rousing reception as fans kept yelling the words 'Babar bhai' to the Pakistan captain. Notably, Pakistan will play their first two matches in Hyderabad before moving on to Ahmedabad for the high-octane clash against hosts India.
During an interaction with the local media, the 53-year-old claimed:
"Ahmedabad aur Hyderabad dono jo inke cities hai, yaha par population musalmano ki bahut zyada hai. Aur iss wajeh se he aap dekhenge ki airport se lekr hotel tak puri puri raat logo ko khade hote dekha hai. (Ahmedabad and Hyderabad are such cities where the population of Muslims is quite high. That is why you see (support) at the airport)."
Pakistan to play their first warm-up match on Friday:
Meanwhile, the Men in Green will have their first hit out ahead of the 2023 World Cup on Friday in Hyderabad against New Zealand in Hyderabad. However, due to lack of enough security, the game will take place behind closed doors.
Babar Azam and co. will have to do with a depleted bowling attack in the tournament as Naseem Shah's absence has left a big void. They will hope that Hassan Ali, who has been named as his replacement comes good in the tournament.
