By IANS
New Delhi : The Pakistani cricket team arrived here Thursday evening to a quiet welcome, with the players straightaway boarding the waiting bus at the airport and speeding away to the hotel.
Local cricket officials and Pakistani High Commissioner Shahid Malik were among those who received the Shoaib Malik-led team that will play five One-Day Internationals and three Tests starting Monday.
“It was a good welcome for the team. I am happy with it,” Shahid Malik told IANS at the Indira Gandhi International Airport.
Manager Talat Ali was the first to come out of the ‘transfer lounge’ gate, followed by Shoaib Malik and the rest of the team.
No cricketer or official spoke to the assembled media persons.
After getting into the team bus the players pulled the window curtains aside and waved at the cameras. A few of them, including wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal, were still wearing dark glasses inside the bus.
The team proceeded to the hotel where they will stay for a few days before leaving for Guwahati for the first ODI Monday.
The team will play a warm-up limited overs match against Gautam Gambhir’s Delhi team at the Ferozeshah Kotla here Friday.
Team: Shoaib Malik (captain), Salman Butt, Imran Nazir, Yasir Hameed, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Shahid Afridi, Misbah-ul-Haq, Fawad Alam, Kamran Akmal (wicket-keeper), Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Sohail Tanvir, Abdur Rehman and Iftikhar Anjum
Coach: Geoff Lawson (Australia); Manager: Talat Ali