2023 World Cup : Formal welcome to Pakistan team and all the 1st time travelers

[Bhaijaan]

I just realised that the overwhelming majority of the Pakistan cricket team has never ever played in Bharat.

This is quite unreal to be honest.

It’s shocking, sad and somewhat exciting as well keeping in mind the things they can potentially deliver on this historic tour .

Keeping in mind the above, as a senior poster from Bharat on this forum, I would like to whole heartfelt welcome the entire Pakistan contingent to our country and from the bottom of my heart i wish you have a great World Cup (for as long as that doesn’t mean that you would outdo us).

Your ex cricketers have done wonders on this soil. I hope you will take inspiration from their heroics.

Posting some memorable photos here to remind some great memories on our soil.

Wishing Babar all the best in particular. On our pitches he should score heavily and be among the highest run getters in the tournament.

Fakhar Zaman can potentially light up our stadiums.

Shaheen Shah Afridi can recreate Wasim Akram, Shoaib Akhtar magic.

Overall as a genuine fan of the game, I am extremely excited to see the greens on our stadium and will surely follow every game with great enthusiasm. I hope we can celebrate a lot of wins here.

 

[SM1989]

Are there any Pakistani fans travelling to India to watch World Cup games? Will the Indian government be issuing visas? Or will the boys in green have to play without any supporters?

 

[shah9425]

I just realised that the overwhelming majority of the Pakistan cricket team has never ever played in Bharat.

This is quite unreal to be honest.

It’s shocking, sad and somewhat exciting as well keeping in mind the things they can potentially deliver on this historic tour .

Keeping in mind the above, as a senior poster from Bharat on this forum, I would like to whole heartfelt welcome the entire Pakistan contingent to our country and from the bottom of my heart i wish you have a great World Cup (for as long as that doesn’t mean that you would outdo us).

Your ex cricketers have done wonders on this soil. I hope you will take inspiration from their heroics.

Posting some memorable photos here to remind some great memories on our soil.

Wishing Babar all the best in particular. On our pitches he should score heavily and be among the highest run getters in the tournament.

Fakhar Zaman can potentially light up our stadiums.

Shaheen Shah Afridi can recreate Wasim Akram, Shoaib Akhtar magic.

Overall as a genuine fan of the game, I am extremely excited to see the greens on our stadium and will surely follow every game with great enthusiasm. I hope we can celebrate a lot of wins here.

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View attachment 136532

Hopefully more memories will be made in this WC

 

[Visaal-E-Yaar]

2012-13 series was awesome
Nasir jamshed
B kumar
Junaid khan
Saeed ajmal
We should play more each other on home soils.
Will be great to see pakistan arriving in india and i hope we will get warm welcome

 

[Markhor]

Lots of iconic Pakistan cricket moments in India.

It would be great if an Indian PPer could tell us about each venue and what to expect at this World Cup.

 

[vprasanna83]

I will tell you about my home city Chennai . Chennai should be no stranger to Pakistan fans having hosted Saeed Anwars 194 in 1997 and the famous 1999 Test between India and Pakistan . Pakistan play two games here . On the cricketing side , Chennai is a spin friendly wicket and Pakistan will need to be wary of the Afghanistan spinners .

The crowd however is the most knowledgeable and sporting one in India ( we gave the Pak team a standing ovation in 1999 ) . So looking forward to the games here .

P.S : I have purchased tickets for Pak vs AFG already

 

[SamNJ]

I believe Pakistan are a team that generally generates a lot of interest among Indian cricket fans and has capability to housefull stadiums even against neutral oppositions.
Hope they don't face hostility and toxicity from Indian crowd which will have a lot of right wing nuts.

 

[RKhan_Cricket]

I believe Pakistan are a team that generally generates a lot of interest among Indian cricket fans and has capability to housefull stadiums even against neutral oppositions.
Hope they don't face hostility and toxicity from Indian crowd which will have a lot of right wing nuts.

I was just checking book my show.
Pakistan vs Australia is sold out
Pakistan vs England is sold out
The next one is little bit unbelievable
Pakistan vs Netherlands is 50-60% booked already wow
Pakistan vs srilanka, Afghanistan and South Africa are in fast filling mode almost 80-90% tickets are booked.
I mean I don't think it should surprise me at all
This Pakistan team has never played in India before and crowd wants to see something new which they will get by watching pakistan team in action.
When I was in Bangalore i had a lot of South friends and they used to upload Babar Azam's pic on WhatsApp whenever he used to score a ton or whenever Pakistan team used to win and believe me all were Hindus.
Once I was having a discussion with one of my friends Akshay and he told me how kuch he adores Babar and his batting.
So yes Pakistan will get good support in South side but don't expect same thing in Ahmedabad.

 

[happydavy]

I will be in Bangalore to watch aus-pak match, hoping it will be a close contest. With Travis Head unlikely to play the match, i wud assume Pakistan will have a fair chance.

 

[Bhaijaan]

Are there any Pakistani fans travelling to India to watch World Cup games? Will the Indian government be issuing visas? Or will the boys in green have to play without any supporters?

Sensitive matter but i hope the GOI can show a softer approach this time around and give special treatment for the sake of the World Cup.

I hope visas get issues in abundance to all the people passing background checks.

 

[Bhaijaan]

Hopefully more memories will be made in this WC

I wish you all nothing but the best. I hope to celebrate with you all.

 

[Bhaijaan]

I will be in Bangalore to watch aus-pak match, hoping it will be a close contest. With Travis Head unlikely to play the match, i wud assume Pakistan will have a fair chance.

Wow

Have you bought the ticket

 

[Bhaijaan]

I believe Pakistan are a team that generally generates a lot of interest among Indian cricket fans and has capability to housefull stadiums even against neutral oppositions.
Hope they don't face hostility and toxicity from Indian crowd which will have a lot of right wing nuts.

Expecting good crowd in Pakistan’s matches. They have an entertaining team. Win or lose, they will always entertain you.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Lots of iconic Pakistan cricket moments in India.

It would be great if an Indian PPer could tell us about each venue and what to expect at this World Cup.

Cricket- wise?

Hard to say. Indian pitches vary a lot depending on time of the year and have constantly changed over time as well.

One thing is constant , many venues and pitches have more bounce and pace especially for LOIs than earlier and certainly more than Pakistani/UAE . So the game moves a lot faster. When it's flat with no movement , the runs are scored fast helped by fast outfields and when there's movement , wickets can fall in bursts. There are a couple of exceptions but this is mostly true.

For Pakistan's matches

1. Hyderabad

There is no toss bias. Based on recent evidence - high scoring venue . Chasing in the 2nd innings is tough initially because the ball swings and zips under lights but the last 20 overs is extremely batting friendly with softer ball and dew coming in - can even chase 10 an over in last 15-20 overs.


2. Bangalore

No toss bias either way imo .Not always a flat highway especially in ODIs probably because of the world class drainage system - think it's better than any cricket stadium in the world.

But my hometown is at an altitude of 900m and so the ball travels and despite being in the South, the evenings do get cooler and swing upfront in the 2nd innings under lights can very much be expected.

NZ vs Pakistan would be a unique match because it would be a day ODI and Chinnaswamy has not seen a day ODI in over 30 years!! No other venue in India and probably in the whole world has seen such a gap between 2 consecutive day ODIs so not sure what to expect there!



3. Chennai.

One of the exceptions where it is slower and lower than other wickets in India.
Definite bat first pitch if you are a half-competent side. The sea breeze means dew is rare and it gets harder and harder to chase in the 2nd innings.

Unlike other venues, where it might be prudent to wait out the new ball , you have to get on with it quickly or the pitch will slow down and your batting night struggle in the back end.

300 is still a massive score here!


4. Kolkata

Chasing is hard under lights . On the balance of it, it's definitely a bat first venue . Once again, 300 + can be a winning score and while Chennai aids spin, Eden favours the quicker bowlers and the track offers a bit of seam movement .

 

[happydavy]

Wow

Have you bought the ticket

Yea terrace/level P

 

[owenhcricket]

Are there any Pakistani fans travelling to India to watch World Cup games? Will the Indian government be issuing visas? Or will the boys in green have to play without any supporters?

The BCCI cant even provide its own citizens with tickets let alone Pakistanis.

 

[Bhaijaan]

Yea terrace/level P

That’s great.
I reckon it’s going to be a hell of a match.

 

[SM1989]

The BCCI cant even provide its own citizens with tickets let alone Pakistanis.

A friend of mine has bought tickets for Pakistan vs New Zealand but is unsure if he will get a visa. He lives in Pakistan but does have dual nationality and was planning to enter on his UK passport. Not sure how that will work.

 

[sam_ahm]

Pakistan play 4 games in my city of Hyderabad, 2 warm ups and 2 main matches, absolutely sure Pakistan will find a lot of support here.

 

[owenhcricket]

A friend of mine has bought tickets for Pakistan vs New Zealand but is unsure if he will get a visa. He lives in Pakistan but does have dual nationality and was planning to enter on his UK passport. Not sure how that will work.

If you have Pakistani heritage you have to jump through hoops to get a visa but will probably be easier than going on a Pak passport.

 

[Markhor]

Cricket- wise?

Hard to say. Indian pitches vary a lot depending on time of the year and have constantly changed over time as well.

One thing is constant , many venues and pitches have more bounce and pace especially for LOIs than earlier and certainly more than Pakistani/UAE . So the game moves a lot faster. When it's flat with no movement , the runs are scored fast helped by fast outfields and when there's movement , wickets can fall in bursts. There are a couple of exceptions but this is mostly true.

For Pakistan's matches

1. Hyderabad

There is no toss bias. Based on recent evidence - high scoring venue . Chasing in the 2nd innings is tough initially because the ball swings and zips under lights but the last 20 overs is extremely batting friendly with softer ball and dew coming in - can even chase 10 an over in last 15-20 overs.


2. Bangalore

No toss bias either way imo .Not always a flat highway especially in ODIs probably because of the world class drainage system - think it's better than any cricket stadium in the world.

But my hometown is at an altitude of 900m and so the ball travels and despite being in the South, the evenings do get cooler and swing upfront in the 2nd innings under lights can very much be expected.

NZ vs Pakistan would be a unique match because it would be a day ODI and Chinnaswamy has not seen a day ODI in over 30 years!! No other venue in India and probably in the whole world has seen such a gap between 2 consecutive day ODIs so not sure what to expect there!



3. Chennai.

One of the exceptions where it is slower and lower than other wickets in India.
Definite bat first pitch if you are a half-competent side. The sea breeze means dew is rare and it gets harder and harder to chase in the 2nd innings.

Unlike other venues, where it might be prudent to wait out the new ball , you have to get on with it quickly or the pitch will slow down and your batting night struggle in the back end.

300 is still a massive score here!


4. Kolkata

Chasing is hard under lights . On the balance of it, it's definitely a bat first venue . Once again, 300 + can be a winning score and while Chennai aids spin, Eden favours the quicker bowlers and the track offers a bit of seam movement .

Thanks, very informative.

Batting friendly pitches will favour Pakistan as let's be honest - our guys are flat track bullies as their struggles against swing and on slow, stopping pitches proved. Our #1 ranking was largely achieved from cashing in on perfect batting wickets at home.

The exception seems to be Chennai where the toss will be crucial vs Afghanistan.

What should we expect from Ahmedabad ? We've seen some sharp turning wickets in India's Tests, but I think the biggest challenge for our players is dealing with the bearpit atmosphere of 100K fans.

 

[JattMaula]

Thanks, very informative.

Batting friendly pitches will favour Pakistan as let's be honest - our guys are flat track bullies as their struggles against swing and on slow, stopping pitches proved. Our #1 ranking was largely achieved from cashing in on perfect batting wickets at home.

The exception seems to be Chennai where the toss will be crucial vs Afghanistan.

What should we expect from Ahmedabad ? We've seen some sharp turning wickets in India's Tests, but I think the biggest challenge for our players is dealing with the bearpit atmosphere of 100K fans.

Ahmedabad in test is opposite of its nature in LO. It's the roadest of roads in IPL.

 

[Bhaijaan]

It’s amazing that this generation of cricketers from Bharat and Pakistan have no idea of what a hostile crowd atmosphere looks like.

They have played these matches in Dubai, Australia, England etc where crowd is excited but sporty.


They know nothing of the madness that used to be the subcontinental stadiums back in the day.

 

[Swashbuckler]

Chennai may be a low bouncing turner but Pakistan has historically enjoyed good results here, like Anwar's 194 game or the famous test in 1999. Also in the 2012 series where Dhoni scored a great 100 from 25/5 but India ended up losing. Don't think Pakistan has ever lost in Chennai, they also will get maximum support here because of the nature of the crowd. Recently we had a hockey tournament in Chennai and the Pakistani skipper himself said that he had never seen so much support for Pakistan outside his home country, Pakistan got maximum crowd support after India in that tournament. Pakistan is scheduled to face Afghanistan and South Africa in Chennai. If you win the toss here, bat first, dew won't be that big a factor because of sea breeze. Batting gets tough as ball gets old, so maximize returns against the new ball. Runs will be hard against spinners in middle overs.

Kolkata is also a happy hunting ground for Pakistan, don't think they have ever lost a ODI in Eden Gardens. Again very good crowd support there but the pitch will be quite bouncy, has been that way since Ganguly became head of CAB. Dew will be there but new ball will also do a lot under lights, toss won't be that big a factor. You face Bangladesh and England here. In the 2016 WT20 you faced Bangladesh here and 90% of the crowd supported Pakistan despite the Bengali factor.

You face Netherlands and Sri Lanka in Hyderabad. Don't know much about this venue but toss won't be that big a factor. Also good support in Hyderabad for Pakistan.

You face Australia and New Zealand in Bengaluru. From T20 games my conclusions are: small ground dimensions, flat pitch, very high scoring venue, dew factor, you got to chase, spinners are ruthlessly targeted. Your game against NZ is a day game, so don't know what to expect. We have seen only 2 ODIs in Bengaluru in the last 10 years, both between India and Australia and both were high scoring. You'll get less crowd support than the first 3 venues I mentioned.

India vs Pakistan in Ahmedabad, colosseum of a stadium, also expect a hostile crowd, it is the backyard of Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and BJP. Very new stadium so tough to predict the nature of the pitch. From IPL games what we saw was moderately easy batting conditions, lightning quick outfield, good carry for quicks, nice consistent bounce which can be played across the line. Indian players like Gill, Pandya, Shami have their best records in this ground, also Bumrah's home ground. I expect Gill, Bumrah and Pandya to be the biggest thorns in the flesh for Pakistan. You won't get much swing in Ahmedabad, but it will reward hit the deck bowlers and quality wrist spinners. Similar to many Australian pitches.

 

[vprasanna83]

Chennai may be a low bouncing turner but Pakistan has historically enjoyed good results here, like Anwar's 194 game or the famous test in 1999. Also in the 2012 series where Dhoni scored a great 100 from 25/5 but India ended up losing. Don't think Pakistan has ever lost in Chennai, they also will get maximum support here because of the nature of the crowd. Recently we had a hockey tournament in Chennai and the Pakistani skipper himself said that he had never seen so much support for Pakistan outside his home country, Pakistan got maximum crowd support after India in that tournament. Pakistan is scheduled to face Afghanistan and South Africa in Chennai. If you win the toss here, bat first, dew won't be that big a factor because of sea breeze. Batting gets tough as ball gets old, so maximize returns against the new ball. Runs will be hard against spinners in middle overs.

Kolkata is also a happy hunting ground for Pakistan, don't think they have ever lost a ODI in Eden Gardens. Again very good crowd support there but the pitch will be quite bouncy, has been that way since Ganguly became head of CAB. Dew will be there but new ball will also do a lot under lights, toss won't be that big a factor. You face Bangladesh and England here. In the 2016 WT20 you faced Bangladesh here and 90% of the crowd supported Pakistan despite the Bengali factor.

You face Netherlands and Sri Lanka in Hyderabad. Don't know much about this venue but toss won't be that big a factor. Also good support in Hyderabad for Pakistan.

You face Australia and New Zealand in Bengaluru. From T20 games my conclusions are: small ground dimensions, flat pitch, very high scoring venue, dew factor, you got to chase, spinners are ruthlessly targeted. Your game against NZ is a day game, so don't know what to expect. We have seen only 2 ODIs in Bengaluru in the last 10 years, both between India and Australia and both were high scoring. You'll get less crowd support than the first 3 venues I mentioned.

India vs Pakistan in Ahmedabad, colosseum of a stadium, also expect a hostile crowd, it is the backyard of Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and BJP. Very new stadium so tough to predict the nature of the pitch. From IPL games what we saw was moderately easy batting conditions, lightning quick outfield, good carry for quicks, nice consistent bounce which can be played across the line. Indian players like Gill, Pandya, Shami have their best records in this ground, also Bumrah's home ground. I expect Gill, Bumrah and Pandya to be the biggest thorns in the flesh for Pakistan. You won't get much swing in Ahmedabad, but it will reward hit the deck bowlers and quality wrist spinners. Similar to many Australian pitches.

There is one point though . Ahmedabad in the evening can swing a lot . I remember Shami getting lots of swing under lights in the IPL . Sometimes he was just unplayable

 

[Swashbuckler]

Heat, humidity won't be a factor this time of the year. But expect rain to play a role in matches held in Chennai, maybe Bengaluru but not that much. Unlike rest of India, Chennai relies on North East Monsoon for its rainfall, October-December has plenty of rain. Washouts are common. Had the tournament been held in February-March, rain wouldn't have been a factor anywhere but the pandemic messed up everything.

Smog/pollution/visibility will be a factor in games in Delhi and Lucknow. I am sure that is the case even in Pakistani Punjab in winter.

 

[Swashbuckler]

There is one point though . Ahmedabad in the evening can swing a lot . I remember Shami getting lots of swing under lights in the IPL . Sometimes he was just unplayable

Swing or seam? It generally seams there.

 

[Swashbuckler]

Another point to remember is if Pakistan make it to semi finals, it will definitely be held in Eden Gardens, Kolkata. If not, the normal schedule will apply.

Good for Pakistan because Mumbai will favor the SENA sides. I don't want India to face England or Australia in Wankhede.

 

[SM1989]

Another point to remember is if Pakistan make it to semi finals, it will definitely be held in Eden Gardens, Kolkata. If not, the normal schedule will apply.

Good for Pakistan because Mumbai will favor the SENA sides. I don't want India to face England or Australia in Wankhede.

Also the RSS won't let Pakistan play in Mumbai.

 

[vprasanna83]

Swing or seam? It generally seams there.

Swing . Check out the GT vs RR highlights

 

[Nado_]

Chennai may be a low bouncing turner but Pakistan has historically enjoyed good results here, like Anwar's 194 game or the famous test in 1999. Also in the 2012 series where Dhoni scored a great 100 from 25/5 but India ended up losing. Don't think Pakistan has ever lost in Chennai, they also will get maximum support here because of the nature of the crowd. Recently we had a hockey tournament in Chennai and the Pakistani skipper himself said that he had never seen so much support for Pakistan outside his home country, Pakistan got maximum crowd support after India in that tournament. Pakistan is scheduled to face Afghanistan and South Africa in Chennai. If you win the toss here, bat first, dew won't be that big a factor because of sea breeze. Batting gets tough as ball gets old, so maximize returns against the new ball. Runs will be hard against spinners in middle overs.

Kolkata is also a happy hunting ground for Pakistan, don't think they have ever lost a ODI in Eden Gardens. Again very good crowd support there but the pitch will be quite bouncy, has been that way since Ganguly became head of CAB. Dew will be there but new ball will also do a lot under lights, toss won't be that big a factor. You face Bangladesh and England here. In the 2016 WT20 you faced Bangladesh here and 90% of the crowd supported Pakistan despite the Bengali factor.

You face Netherlands and Sri Lanka in Hyderabad. Don't know much about this venue but toss won't be that big a factor. Also good support in Hyderabad for Pakistan.

You face Australia and New Zealand in Bengaluru. From T20 games my conclusions are: small ground dimensions, flat pitch, very high scoring venue, dew factor, you got to chase, spinners are ruthlessly targeted. Your game against NZ is a day game, so don't know what to expect. We have seen only 2 ODIs in Bengaluru in the last 10 years, both between India and Australia and both were high scoring. You'll get less crowd support than the first 3 venues I mentioned.

India vs Pakistan in Ahmedabad, colosseum of a stadium, also expect a hostile crowd, it is the backyard of Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and BJP. Very new stadium so tough to predict the nature of the pitch. From IPL games what we saw was moderately easy batting conditions, lightning quick outfield, good carry for quicks, nice consistent bounce which can be played across the line. Indian players like Gill, Pandya, Shami have their best records in this ground, also Bumrah's home ground. I expect Gill, Bumrah and Pandya to be the biggest thorns in the flesh for Pakistan. You won't get much swing in Ahmedabad, but it will reward hit the deck bowlers and quality wrist spinners. Similar to many Australian pitches.

Thanks for taking your time and these details .

 

[Bhaijaan]

Another point to remember is if Pakistan make it to semi finals, it will definitely be held in Eden Gardens, Kolkata. If not, the normal schedule will apply.

Good for Pakistan because Mumbai will favor the SENA sides. I don't want India to face England or Australia in Wankhede.

England will smash us for 400 if they bat first at Wankhede.

Let’s hope Bharat can win the toss.

 

[rickroll]

I was just checking book my show.
Pakistan vs Australia is sold out
Pakistan vs England is sold out
The next one is little bit unbelievable
Pakistan vs Netherlands is 50-60% booked already wow
Pakistan vs srilanka, Afghanistan and South Africa are in fast filling mode almost 80-90% tickets are booked.
I mean I don't think it should surprise me at all
This Pakistan team has never played in India before and crowd wants to see something new which they will get by watching pakistan team in action.
When I was in Bangalore i had a lot of South friends and they used to upload Babar Azam's pic on WhatsApp whenever he used to score a ton or whenever Pakistan team used to win and believe me all were Hindus.
Once I was having a discussion with one of my friends Akshay and he told me how kuch he adores Babar and his batting.
So yes Pakistan will get good support in South side but don't expect same thing in Ahmedabad.

This is what I have consistently said about south Indians being a lot friendlier towards Pakistanis in other threads. But somehow the Punjab dominated Pakistani Americans and British Pakistanis in this forum (and probably also Pakistan based PPers here) never seem to understand or appreciate or even acknowledge this about the south Indians.

 

[rickroll]

Chennai may be a low bouncing turner but Pakistan has historically enjoyed good results here, like Anwar's 194 game or the famous test in 1999. Also in the 2012 series where Dhoni scored a great 100 from 25/5 but India ended up losing. Don't think Pakistan has ever lost in Chennai, they also will get maximum support here because of the nature of the crowd. Recently we had a hockey tournament in Chennai and the Pakistani skipper himself said that he had never seen so much support for Pakistan outside his home country, Pakistan got maximum crowd support after India in that tournament. Pakistan is scheduled to face Afghanistan and South Africa in Chennai. If you win the toss here, bat first, dew won't be that big a factor because of sea breeze. Batting gets tough as ball gets old, so maximize returns against the new ball. Runs will be hard against spinners in middle overs.

Kolkata is also a happy hunting ground for Pakistan, don't think they have ever lost a ODI in Eden Gardens. Again very good crowd support there but the pitch will be quite bouncy, has been that way since Ganguly became head of CAB. Dew will be there but new ball will also do a lot under lights, toss won't be that big a factor. You face Bangladesh and England here. In the 2016 WT20 you faced Bangladesh here and 90% of the crowd supported Pakistan despite the Bengali factor.

You face Netherlands and Sri Lanka in Hyderabad. Don't know much about this venue but toss won't be that big a factor. Also good support in Hyderabad for Pakistan.

You face Australia and New Zealand in Bengaluru. From T20 games my conclusions are: small ground dimensions, flat pitch, very high scoring venue, dew factor, you got to chase, spinners are ruthlessly targeted. Your game against NZ is a day game, so don't know what to expect. We have seen only 2 ODIs in Bengaluru in the last 10 years, both between India and Australia and both were high scoring. You'll get less crowd support than the first 3 venues I mentioned.

India vs Pakistan in Ahmedabad, colosseum of a stadium, also expect a hostile crowd, it is the backyard of Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and BJP. Very new stadium so tough to predict the nature of the pitch. From IPL games what we saw was moderately easy batting conditions, lightning quick outfield, good carry for quicks, nice consistent bounce which can be played across the line. Indian players like Gill, Pandya, Shami have their best records in this ground, also Bumrah's home ground. I expect Gill, Bumrah and Pandya to be the biggest thorns in the flesh for Pakistan. You won't get much swing in Ahmedabad, but it will reward hit the deck bowlers and quality wrist spinners. Similar to many Australian pitches.

This is positive to hear about Chennai. I hope more Pakistanis here (especially the younger ones who have not experienced watching Pakistan play in India) can appreciate the sporting and hospitable crowds of Chennai.

I have coworker turned friends from south India and it has been so refreshing hanging out with them. I hope to watch some games with them this world cup. They have no anti-Pakistan or anti-Muslim agendas, knowledgeable and intellectual people. This was a marked difference from the experience of interacting with Indians from the north or from places like Gujarat.

 

[shah9425]

I wish you all nothing but the best. I hope to celebrate with you all.

Thanks bro

 

[MenInG]

Would like to see some easing of visa rules for Pakistanis or Pakistan origin fans for the World Cup.

 

[GLORY OF '92]

England will smash us for 400 if they bat first at Wankhede.

Let’s hope Bharat can win the toss.

England will struggle against Siraj and Bumrah.

 

[Bhaijaan]

Would like to see some easing of visa rules for Pakistanis or Pakistan origin fans for the World Cup.

Any of you guys planning on going?

 

[mikeypbadana86]

Most of the indian fans like babar for his effortless batting and respect Shaheen shah ( reminds of the great wasim). Historically Saeed anwer, inzi, wasim, waqar and sharing akthar were hugely popular and even now.

Coming back to the venues , chennai crowd is not partisan but sporting . Can expect good support. Bangalore is the IT hub/silicon valley of India and is a sporting crowd. Calcutta unless it's a knock out against India, can expect great support for PAK. Hyderabad sure will support PAK.

Ahmedabad would be 11 pak gladiators vs 1 lakh high octane spectators against them. Mumbai would be the same .

A strong pakistan cricket team is good for world cup and the indian fans appreciate the mercuricality of the team. If it's ind vs pak or pak against Ind the objectivity goes for a toss and all hell will break loose.

Welcome team Pakistan to India, play the Pakistani way as you are known for ala unpredictable passionate dangerous and inconsistent

 

[mikeypbadana86]

This is what I have consistently said about south Indians being a lot friendlier towards Pakistanis in other threads. But somehow the Punjab dominated Pakistani Americans and British Pakistanis in this forum (and probably also Pakistan based PPers here) never seem to understand or appreciate or even acknowledge this about the south Indians.

An other South Indian here. South Indians have no baggage of history or partition. Personally I always liked Pakistani cricketers and musicians. The natural talent in the country amazes me. All the best for the worldcup except against India.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

There is one point though . Ahmedabad in the evening can swing a lot . I remember Shami getting lots of swing under lights in the IPL . Sometimes he was just unplayable

Swing under lights will be common in many venues in India and the ball will absolutely zip through to the keeper unlike in Pakistani venues like Lahore and Rawalpindi where ball goes on dead straight and the new kookaburra balls will be absolute weapons in the hands of new ball bowlers upfront in many Indian venues.

The 2nd thing to be noted is that IPL pitches and conditions are very different from ODI pitches and conditions across India. There is more deterioration, there are 2 new balls to contend with and dew only comes in during the last 20 overs of 2nd innings so it's more balanced .

Bangalore has a reputation of being a flat highway but we can also see 280 takes on 280 matches and we have seen in the latest matches there as well.

@Markhor I didn't mention Ahmedabad because the wicket there can be extremely varied and I believe Bhogle mentioned that they have around 10 different types of pitches that they can lay out, lol.

The IPL often sees flat highways but when WI toured India , the wickets were hard to bat on and we saw a low scoring series.

A lot of Pakistanis on Twitter were upset that they were given Australia in Bangalore and not in Chennai and they were basing it on the nature of the respective wickets.


But the reality is that Australia have a terrific record at Chennai and have a poor record in Bangalore.

So dont go by IPL which is a 20 overs contest. 50 overs contests in India are the most balanced in India among all 3 formats and they are the most balanced among all South Asian nations.

You play good, smart cricket for 100 overs and you're in the game regardless of toss and conditions.

 

[SamNJ]

Pakistan's biggest headache at Ahmedabad will be crowd. Hugely partisan since it is BJP and Hindutva's centre. Extremely large stadium which is going to be housefull.
Players mental strength will be thoroughly tested here. Good thing is, if they can withstand this kind of crowd pressure, it will be a unique experience which can help them in future.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Pakistan's biggest headache at Ahmedabad will be crowd. Hugely partisan since it is BJP and Hindutva's centre. Extremely large stadium which is going to be housefull.
Players mental strength will be thoroughly tested here. Good thing is, if they can withstand this kind of crowd pressure, it will be a unique experience which can help them in future.

most of the pressure would be on India because pakistan has nothing to lose but India has a lot to lose if they face defeat on their home ground.

 

[Bhaijaan]

An other South Indian here. South Indians have no baggage of history or partition. Personally I always liked Pakistani cricketers and musicians. The natural talent in the country amazes me. All the best for the worldcup except against India.

It’s 2023, and majority of stadiums in India will be full of sporty fans. Ahmedabad and Mumbai also can turn out to be surprisingly supportive.

Too much bloody south India this and that. Are you a different country and what is your contribution to our armed forces by the way. The very UP, Biharis you racist South Indians despise guard the borders that protect your families.
So be thankful and acknowledge yourselves as Bharatiyas rather than calling yourself South Indians specifically.

 

[kingusama92]

I was just checking book my show.
Pakistan vs Australia is sold out
Pakistan vs England is sold out
The next one is little bit unbelievable
Pakistan vs Netherlands is 50-60% booked already wow
Pakistan vs srilanka, Afghanistan and South Africa are in fast filling mode almost 80-90% tickets are booked.
I mean I don't think it should surprise me at all
This Pakistan team has never played in India before and crowd wants to see something new which they will get by watching pakistan team in action.
When I was in Bangalore i had a lot of South friends and they used to upload Babar Azam's pic on WhatsApp whenever he used to score a ton or whenever Pakistan team used to win and believe me all were Hindus.
Once I was having a discussion with one of my friends Akshay and he told me how kuch he adores Babar and his batting.
So yes Pakistan will get good support in South side but don't expect same thing in Ahmedabad.

That's quite surprising, especially the Netherlands and Afghanistan games.

It's good for the game and tournament.

 

[mikeypbadana86]

Stop posting rubbish.
It’s 2023, and majority of stadiums in India will be full of sporty fans. Ahmedabad and Mumbai also can turn out to be surprisingly supportive.

Too much bloody south India this and that. Are you a different country and what is your contribution to our armed forces by the way. The very UP, Biharis you racist South Indians despise guard the borders that protect your families.
So be thankful and acknowledge yourselves as Bharatiyas rather than calling yourself South Indians specifically.

Tired of you ungrateful and unpatriotic people.

I wake up at 1 30 am to watch ind vs pak. I am watching cricket since 28 years. Was a fan of pak cricket from days of wasim waqar shoaib akthar Saeed Anwar. Except ind vs pak, I support pak in other matches. I was reacting to certain pakistanis labeling south Indians as easy going and pro pakistan team. I gave a historical context of what could have been thr reason for South Indians to be less jingostic. India is single identity like US. US too has east coast west coast central etc that's just a part of US. There is nothing wrong identifying with a part of India like north or south or east. Bhaijan. As as indian I speak hindi urdu telugu and tamizh. I am as indian as any one celebrating indias diversity. Pakistan is my second best favourite after identity sharing a common cultural history and specially the brand of cricket.
Bhaijan , sports forum pe ithna jasbathi dikhao. Nafrath math phelao...no abuses or trolls please.

1996 quarter final happened in Bangalore...no single indian supporter supported pakistan team. What makes you believe in Ahmedabad pakistan would get the support considering pak intially sought a venue change owing to tensions they attribute to what ever reasons ?

 

[Bhaijaan]

I wake up at 1 30 am to watch ind vs pak. I am watching cricket since 28 years. Was a fan of pak cricket from days of wasim waqar shoiab akthar Saeed Anwar. Except ind vs pak, I support pak in other matches. I was reacting to certain pakistanies labeling south Indians as easy going and pro pakistan team. I gave a historical context of what could have been thr reason for South Indians to be less jingostic. India is single identity like US. US too has east coast west coast central etc that's just a part of US. There is nothing wrong identifying with a part of India like north or south or east. Bhaijan. As as indian I speak hindi urdu telugu and tamizh. I am as indian as any one celebrating indias diversity. Pakistan is my second best favourite after identity sharing a common cultural history and specially the brand of cricket.
Bhaijan , sports forum pe ithna jasbathi dikhao. Nafrath math phelao...no abuses or trolls please.

1996 quarter final happened in Bangalore...no single indian supporter supported pakistan team. What makes you believe in Ahmedabad pakistan would get the support considering pak intially sought a venue change owing to tensions they attribute to what ever reasons ?

Don’t take my comments personally but you can understand from where I’m coming, I hope.

We are one nation and we shouldn’t brag about being from a certain part of our country while being representatives of our nation in front of foreigners. Like I’m a Punjabi only for small talk and all but I am always a Bharatiya. The values that I represent are values of Bharat and not of a part of Bharat.

Your post was an indirect dig at people from other parts of our nation not being friendly and sporty which is just wrong to do on a foreign forum. It’s 2023 and people are really not burning effigies in stadiums anymore. Crowd is mostly supportive wherever you go.

Besides being overly supportive also is not a mandatory thing. Football crowd in Europe and Latin America is extremely hostile and that’s also an exciting part of the sport. Hostile crowd doesn’t mean bad people necessarily.

It would be extremely fake and soft if Bharatiya crowd is overly supportive and sporty to Pakistan team. Even they would find it soft. You have to give them a taste of hostility while maintaining a level of decency.

 

[ExpressPacer]

@Bhaijaan Really wanted to travel to India for the WC given that it would be the most inexpensive event to attend ever while also being able to enjoy relative comfort. Unfortunately, travelling to India as a Pakistani (and vice versa) is almost impossible.

 

[Swashbuckler]

Stop posting rubbish.
It’s 2023, and majority of stadiums in India will be full of sporty fans. Ahmedabad and Mumbai also can turn out to be surprisingly supportive.

Too much bloody south India this and that. Are you a different country and what is your contribution to our armed forces by the way. The very UP, Biharis you racist South Indians despise guard the borders that protect your families.
So be thankful and acknowledge yourselves as Bharatiyas rather than calling yourself South Indians specifically.

Tired of you ungrateful and unpatriotic people.

Bhaijaan, no need to generalize, be the bigger person. There are 5 states in South India, many Biharis and UP people work and live here peacefully. And all states have contribution to Indian army, there is a Madras regiment in Indian Army, Sandeep Unnikrishnan, Hanumanthappa, many of the Galwan martyrs were South Indians, many from South join the Indian navy. How do you decide who is ungrateful or unpatriotic? Check the recent finance commission reports, all South states give more than they receive, and end up subsidizing much of North and East India.

 

[mikeypbadana86]

Much of my soft corner for Pakistan comes from the following. Back in 1990's till 2001, Pak used to own India. I had seen peak Pakistan under the W's, shoaib/inzi/anwar. Much prior to that, there was imran era where Pak dominated India too. Despite lack of cricket in Pak, no entry to IPL( barring an exception of recent PSL), the match fixing scandals, Pakistan has won t20 world cup and champions trophy. The natural talent of fast bowlers amazes me. I have responded to one of pak posters finding south indians friendly. I am ending it here with no further replies on this topic.

 

[Bhaijaan]

@Bhaijaan Really wanted to travel to India for the WC given that it would be the most inexpensive event to attend ever while also being able to enjoy relative comfort. Unfortunately, travelling to India as a Pakistani (and vice versa) is almost impossible.

That sucks bro.
I was thinking maybe for World Cup they will soften the visa policy.

 

[hassan918]

That sucks bro.
I was thinking maybe for World Cup they will soften the visa policy.

They should be doing this as there will be thousands of fans from Pakistan who will be going to India to watch World Cup matches.

 

[Saj]

I'd like to think that most Indian cricket lovers will appreciate the Pakistani players, rather than cause security issues for them.

I sincerely hope Pakistan go to India and do their nation proud and go there and perform to the best of their ability.

 

[Bhaijaan]

Hope the VISA is rec’d soon.

 

[Devadwal]

Hope the VISA is rec’d soon.

They gets now .it's was just victims mentally from some fan's otherwise they are gonna gets Visa in a couple of days anyway

 

[Bhaijaan]

They gets now .it's was just victims mentally from some fan's otherwise they are gonna gets Visa in a couple of days anyway

They always create this needless drama unfortunately. None of the other teams do this.

Do we know if all of them have rec’d VISA? No, they don’t create a scene.

 

[Dr_Bassim]

How can the visas be given when Pakistan delayed the announcement of squad.

Surely it takes a few days for approval.

They announced on Friday

Saturday Sunday is probably a holiday.

What is Pakistan cricket team expecting?

That people will work for them on Saturday and Sunday ?

Still visas approved by Monday.

I think it all went well.

 

[Devadwal]

How can the visas be given when Pakistan delayed the announcement of squad.

Surely it takes a few days for approval.

They announced on Friday

Saturday Sunday is probably a holiday.

What is Pakistan cricket team expecting?

That people will work for them on Saturday and Sunday ?

Still visas approved by Monday.

I think it all went well.

Bro Afganistan team also gets Visa Today Along with Pakistan .But they haven't make any issue . every team knows that it's world cup and eventually they will get Visa so why make unnecessary issues .i

 

[Bhaijaan]

How can the visas be given when Pakistan delayed the announcement of squad.

Surely it takes a few days for approval.

They announced on Friday

Saturday Sunday is probably a holiday.

What is Pakistan cricket team expecting?

That people will work for them on Saturday and Sunday ?

Still visas approved by Monday.

I think it all went well.

All these years, I never heard about VISA issues except for when PCB has to send its team to India.

 

[SportsWarrior]

How can the visas be given when Pakistan delayed the announcement of squad.

Surely it takes a few days for approval.

They announced on Friday

Saturday Sunday is probably a holiday.

What is Pakistan cricket team expecting?

That people will work for them on Saturday and Sunday ?

Still visas approved by Monday.

I think it all went well.

from what i understand they applied on 19th and got it today. Fairly quick. They got it on the fourth working day. Last week also religious festivals and such. Pakistan got it 48 hours before their departure just like Afghans.. Not sure what the issue is.. Did they expect Indian embassy to be waiting for Pakistanis to apply for visas and issue it an hour? usually five working days is a standard protocol.

 

[Devadwal]

from what i understand they applied on 19th and got it today. Fairly quick. They got it on the fourth working day. Last week also religious festivals and such. Pakistan got it 48 hours before their departure just like Afghans.. Not sure what the issue is.. Did they expect Indian embassy to be waiting for Pakistanis to apply for visas and issue it an hour? usually five working days is a standard protocol.

Totally agreed. Pakistani fans think that their team is somewhat Deserved The Royal treatment like Any others State of head gets ,so they can get visa in a day.

 

[MenInG]

Totally agreed. Pakistani fans think that their team is somewhat Deserved The Royal treatment like Any others State of head gets ,so they can get visa in a day.

Pakistan fans take hospitality for guests as granted - guess that's us.

 

[Devadwal]

Pakistan fans take hospitality for guests as granted - guess that's us.

They will treated same like all others playing nations .they granted visa after clearing all the necessary conditions .

 

[FearlessRoar]

BCCI just loves to do politics every time when it comes to Pakistan.

 

[Devadwal]

BCCI just loves to do politics every time when it comes to Pakistan.

Its other way around sir . Pakistani fans create unnecessary drama .

 

[Major]

How can the visas be given when Pakistan delayed the announcement of squad.

Surely it takes a few days for approval.

They announced on Friday

Saturday Sunday is probably a holiday.

What is Pakistan cricket team expecting?

That people will work for them on Saturday and Sunday ?

Still visas approved by Monday.

I think it all went well.

bro, visas are always applied in advance. Usuaully what happens is that a team submits 30 players name and get them visas in case their is some injury and a back up is needed at the last minute.

Just because Pakistan announced team on friday doesnt mean they applied for visas on friday. They probably applied for visa by sept 5th or even before that.

 

[Dr_Bassim]

bro, visas are always applied in advance. Usuaully what happens is that a team submits 30 players name and get them visas in case their is some injury and a back up is needed at the last minute.

Just because Pakistan announced team on friday doesnt mean they applied for visas on friday. They probably applied for visa by sept 5th or even before that.

If there is any reliable source that 30 players applied for visas then do let me know.

 

[Devadwal]

bro, visas are always applied in advance. Usuaully what happens is that a team submits 30 players name and get them visas in case their is some injury and a back up is needed at the last minute.

Just because Pakistan announced team on friday doesnt mean they applied for visas on friday. They probably applied for visa by sept 5th or even before that.

Checked your source again . Pakistan applied for Visa on 19 September. If you have any reliable source please post it here.

 

[Major]

If there is any reliable source that 30 players applied for visas then do let me know.

do you have a source that visa was applied on friday?
i am telling you the process of these things work because i have such reports in the past and its always 30 players whose visa the team applies for.

 

[Major]

Checked your source again . Pakistan applied for Visa on 19 September. If you have any reliable source please post it here.

there is no proper source of 19th september. Just a random date that is rotating, not a confirmed one.

 

[rpant_gabba]

there is no proper source of 19th september. Just a random date that is rotating, not a confirmed one.

how do you apply for a visa without submitting passport?

How do you travel from SL to Pak, SL to Dubai, Dubai to Pak like Pak team members did from 15th sept to 18th sept w/o a passport?

Either they used the passport to apply for visa or used it travel.

which one is it?

 

[Nikhil_cric]

I believe this is why Pakistan and Afghanistan got their visas late and PAK origin players elsewhere were affected too.

On August 2, the Home Ministry sent a note to BCCI stating, "security clearance of Ministry of Home Affairs is required for the event (World Cup) only if there are foreign participant from the PRC countries ie Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Sudan, foreigners of Pakistani Origin and Stateless persons" (PRC is 'prior referral category'). Anyone from a PRC country needs a security clearance before a visa is granted.

Players of Pakistani origin from other countries have also been affected. Two from Netherlands, Shariz Ahmed and Saqib Zulfiqar, both of Pakistan origin, couldn't travel to Bengaluru in late August for a short preparatory camp organised by the Dutch board as they did not get visas in time.

 

[heddie19]

Cricket- wise?

Hard to say. Indian pitches vary a lot depending on time of the year and have constantly changed over time as well.

One thing is constant , many venues and pitches have more bounce and pace especially for LOIs than earlier and certainly more than Pakistani/UAE . So the game moves a lot faster. When it's flat with no movement , the runs are scored fast helped by fast outfields and when there's movement , wickets can fall in bursts. There are a couple of exceptions but this is mostly true.

For Pakistan's matches

1. Hyderabad

There is no toss bias. Based on recent evidence - high scoring venue . Chasing in the 2nd innings is tough initially because the ball swings and zips under lights but the last 20 overs is extremely batting friendly with softer ball and dew coming in - can even chase 10 an over in last 15-20 overs.


2. Bangalore

No toss bias either way imo .Not always a flat highway especially in ODIs probably because of the world class drainage system - think it's better than any cricket stadium in the world.

But my hometown is at an altitude of 900m and so the ball travels and despite being in the South, the evenings do get cooler and swing upfront in the 2nd innings under lights can very much be expected.

NZ vs Pakistan would be a unique match because it would be a day ODI and Chinnaswamy has not seen a day ODI in over 30 years!! No other venue in India and probably in the whole world has seen such a gap between 2 consecutive day ODIs so not sure what to expect there!



3. Chennai.

One of the exceptions where it is slower and lower than other wickets in India.
Definite bat first pitch if you are a half-competent side. The sea breeze means dew is rare and it gets harder and harder to chase in the 2nd innings.

Unlike other venues, where it might be prudent to wait out the new ball , you have to get on with it quickly or the pitch will slow down and your batting night struggle in the back end.

300 is still a massive score here!


4. Kolkata

Chasing is hard under lights . On the balance of it, it's definitely a bat first venue . Once again, 300 + can be a winning score and while Chennai aids spin, Eden favours the quicker bowlers and the track offers a bit of seam movement .

You missed Ahmedabad

 

[Nikhil_cric]

You missed Ahmedabad

I mentioned it in another post in this thread. Ahmedabad can vary a lot. I think when Windies toured and played there , it was a hard batting deck - slow and heavy lengths were hard to hit.

But those who watch IPL a lot tell me it's a flat belter .

There's significant variance within a venue. Bangalore is usually flat. But when England played a T20I in 2016/17, I did see a rogue turner.

And it was quick turn too.


There are some basic characteristics that don't change. Bangalore wickets are rarely slow and have decent bounce and Chennai has slower and lower wickets etc.


But as I alluded to in an earlier post - what is key to winning in India is to NOT play one-paced cricket.

If you watched the Indore ODI yesterday, the conditions change very rapidly. In the 2nd innings , initially Prasidh found exaggerated movement and bounce, then the batters were able to play their strokes, then the ball turned for a while and then there was a period when batting was so easy that Abbot and Hazlewood were able to blast every bowler with ridiculous ease. Then the ball started gripping again. All in amatter of 30 overs.

The game moves very quickly in India and the team that gets on top of these changes will always be ahead. Watch Shubman and Iyer bat. They did it perfectly. They attacked the hell out of the ball after the initial swing stopped, then rotated and knuckled down when it started gripping . Then the lower order attacked the softer ball.


Chennai is a consistent wicket. You bat first and then it gets progressively harder. Most wickets and conditions are not like that in India. Teams will have to identify 5 over periods where they have to attack, defend, rotate etc.

If you have watched ODI's in Lahore and Rawalpindi on fresh surfaces, the ball grips a touch during the hot afternoon and then comes on better and gets progressively easier to bat with hardly any movement throughout both innings and barely any bounce. The conditions don't change anywhere near as fast as it does in Indian ODI's. You can bat with the same template for longer periods comfortably.


In Karachi, when there is no dew, it consistently and progressively gets slower and lower and the ball starts turning early. But once again, the conditions, don't change so sharply.

Don't be fooled by a 350 chase in Lahore by comparing it with a 350 chase in, say, Hyderabad. They are achieved in complete different ways.

 

[pakpassfan]

It’s amazing that this generation of cricketers from Bharat and Pakistan have no idea of what a hostile crowd atmosphere looks like.

They have played these matches in Dubai, Australia, England etc where crowd is excited but sporty.


They know nothing of the madness that used to be the subcontinental stadiums back in the day.

Are we calling India Bharat in the world cup? Is the official name final?

 

[pakpassfan]

Much of my soft corner for Pakistan comes from the following. Back in 1990's till 2001, Pak used to own India. I had seen peak Pakistan under the W's, shoaib/inzi/anwar. Much prior to that, there was imran era where Pak dominated India too. Despite lack of cricket in Pak, no entry to IPL( barring an exception of recent PSL), the match fixing scandals, Pakistan has won t20 world cup and champions trophy. The natural talent of fast bowlers amazes me. I have responded to one of pak posters finding south indians friendly. I am ending it here with no further replies on this topic.

I also found south Indians very friendly people in comparison with other Indians. When I was studying in Melbourne most of my friends were south Indians, they are very easy going person. I found people from delhi a little bit conservative in talking with me. That's just my personal experience

 

[MenInG]

Stick to cricket please.

 

[Asad T]

Every time I have visited India, I have always been treated really well there. Cabbies refused to take fares from me after they found out I was from Pakistan etc.
I hope that the sport brings more understanding and respect between Indians and Pakistani's

 

[pakpassfan]

Every time I have visited India, I have always been treated really well there. Cabbies refused to take fares from me after they found out I was from Pakistan etc.
I hope that the sport brings more understanding and respect between Indians and Pakistani's

That's an interesting personal experience to hear. Thanks for sharing

 

[Thanos]

@Bhaijaan Really wanted to travel to India for the WC given that it would be the most inexpensive event to attend ever while also being able to enjoy relative comfort. Unfortunately, travelling to India as a Pakistani (and vice versa) is almost impossib

Even if you had got the Visa, match tickets would've been a problem.
My friend and I thought of experiencing a live match in stadium of 130k capacity. What could've been better than an Ind-Pak match. So we booked travel tickets to/from Ahmedabad 3 months back hoping that we would get 2 tickets easily out of ~100k. Fixture change from 15th to 14th Oct was okay for us since we would've reached on 13th noon.
On day of ticket sale we tried multiple times using multiple devices still didn't get the tickets. (Tried on other days too since BCCI opened bookings in slots on different days). We also tried for other games like Ind-BD and matches in Mumbai but no success.

India has a huge population and in last 5-10 years, income has increased in multiple folds. The middle class now is more like upper middle class which can afford home, cars etc. and people are ready to spend some 10-20k for WC tickets being played on home soil.
Not to forget the black marketing which must be the major reason of unavailability of tickets I guess.

So don't be disappointed and enjoy the WC from home comfortably man.