Former Pakistan cricketer, Mushtaq Ahmed, in his remarks to a local media channel, alluded to the significant Muslim population in cities like Ahmedabad and Hyderabad as a reason for the overwhelming support witnessed at the airport.
“Ahmedabad and Hyderabad are such cities, where population of Muslims is quite high. That is why you see [support] at the airport,” Mushtaq said.
As Pakistan gets ready for the upcoming tournament, they are gearing up to play a warm-up match against New Zealand this Friday in Hyderabad. Following that, their second warm-up match is scheduled against Australia on October 3, all in preparation for the start of their World Cup campaign against the Netherlands on October 6, with all these matches taking place at the same venue in Hyderabad.
Pakistan will wrap up their two-week stay in Hyderabad with their second World Cup match against Sri Lanka on October 10 and then head to Ahmedabad to take on the hosts, India, on October 14.