We have not got this much love even from Pakistan – Shahid Afridi

03/13/2016

After the month-long to-and-fro, the Pakistan team that landed in India was pleasantly surprised by the warm reception that Shahid Afridi emotionally declared that they had not received such love even back homꦰe. The Pakistan skipper also added that they never felt any security threat in India.

“I’ve not 🍎enjoyed playing anywhere as much as I have in India. I am in the last stage of my career and I can say that the love I have got in India is something that I will always remember. We have not got this much love even from Pakistan,” Afr𒉰idi said, reported PTI.

“There are cricket🐽-lovin♛g people here, much like in Pakistan. Overall, I’ve enjoyed a lot playing in India in my cricketing career,” he added.

The team appeared intent on playing down the security drama t🦩hat the two boards had played out. Adding to Afridi's comments, Shoaib Malik said, he felt honoured to be in India.“Firstly I would like to thank the Indian Gover🐼nment. The security is very good. My wife is from India and I come to India a lot. I have never faced any security issue,” Malik said.

The batsman, who is married to Indian tennis star Sania Mirza, oozed camaraderie as he added, “I don’t really see any difference between Pakistani people and the Indians. We eat the same food, we speak the same language. I don’t really see any🌸 difference. I am very happy to be in India. I have always got a lot of love from people and from media. I’m honoured to be in India.”

However, the security question came up again as expected, and Afridi remarked, “Whatever decision the State takes, we are behind them. We are cricketers and not politic💜ians. Sport always brings two nations together. Can th🅷ere be anything better than cricket? I think we should keep politics away from it.”

Afridi also put down queries o🐬n the team's mental 🗹preparations in the midst of the security drama and said, “I think it’s nothing special. We were practising over there. We think about that. Physically and mentally we were ready that we will go definitely.”

“International cricket is all about pressure. The teaꦗm which han🌠dles pressure well wins in the end,” he closed, reported PTI.