Mohali, March 26: Pakistani cricket players arrived here on Friday and went to their respective hotel rooms.
There were no smiles exchanged. No pleasantries. Not even the traditional garlanding and welcoming ceremony the Indian hospitality industry thrives on, reports Times of India.
A rather grave Pakistan team trooped out silently of its team bus here on Friday and marched in hushed silence to their rooms, much like soldiers heading to the frontline. There were no cheers from onlookers, no usual gasps of awe from starstruck teens, says the TOI report.
Much like the smothering security arrangements in place for the players, Shahid Afridi and his men arrived to a cold, sanitized reception ahead of their semifinal clash with India. It was all over in a blink.
One policewoman deployed to cordon off their path sniggered and said, “Yeh yudh hoga (this will be war).” Everyone twitched uncomfortably but ignored her comment.
The countdown to the World Cup's most-anticipated clash has begun. The long and often tempestuous onfield rivalry between the two teams may have watered down a bit in recent times but emotions are running high in these parts.
For a while before 26/11, it appeared India and Pakistan were playing too many games against each other and the sheen was wearing off. The current lot of players lacked the aura of old, felt many.
Things changed with the terrorist attacks in Mumbai and Mohali marks the first appearance of the Pakistan team on Indian soil since the drawn Bangalore Test of December 2007.
Chandigarh police SSP HS Doon, while admitting that players themselves are weary of protocols, revealed how each Pakistani player was required to inform security personnel at least four hours in advance prior to venturing out.
There are electronic jammers around the team bus, and around any area where the players may congregate. There are five dummy routes from the Chandigarh hotel to the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali.
Tempers can be unpredictable and no one is taking any chances, least of all the Chandigarh and Punjab police.
The BCCI's liaison officer for the team said Intikhab Alam, the team manager, had deployed a virtual curfew too. Clearly, there are also special efforts being made to ensure that the players focus on nothing but cricket.
