The Pakistan cricket team is missing its group of fans in the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023 in India as most of their supporters are yet to receive a visa to cross the border. Just a handful of Pakistani fans and journalists have got their visas so far to come to India to attend the ODI showpiece.
The lack of support for the Men in Green was highlighted by Pakistan team director Mickey Arthur after the defeat against India in Ahmedabad last week.
The players are also disappointed that they are not getting the kind of support they would have expected in any other part of the world. But Pakistani fans have had to pay the price for the tension between the two nations.
Pak players missing their fans
Pacer Hasan Ali also rued the fact that Pakistani fans haven't been able to come to India in better numbers to cheer for them but he said that it won't deter their mindset or confidence in the upcoming games of the tournament.
"Of course, we miss our fans, but that is not in our control whether the fans are here or not. As a professional, we should focus on cricket.
"Our fans have increased since you (Pakistan journalists) have come. You have got visas we had 40 fans, now we have 43 45 47 fans," Ali told reporters ahead of Pakistan's next match against Australia in Bengaluru on Friday.
Fever outbreak due to hotel confinement
But Pakistan's preparation for the match has been hampered by the viral fever which has hit the squad ever since they landed in the Garden City.
Six players are down with viral out of which most have recovered but they will be missing Salman Agha against Australia due to the outbreak. And Ali blamed their hotel confinement as the reason behind the viral spread in the squad.
"We can't go out much. If we do want to go out, we have to go with an entire security team. The hospitality is good and we are taken good care of, but we cannot go outside and we have to tell the security before going out because security is an issue," Ali said.
Pakistan will also miss opener Fakhar Zaman in the next match due to a knee injury.
"Most of the players have recovered from fever but when you live in a hotel room then room sickness happens."
