Pakistan hit the pool ahead of India clash

KARACHI: It was hot in Adelaide when the Pakistan squad arrived there on Thursday from Sydney, two days before their big World Cup match against old foes India.
And since it was a rest day, the players decided to hit the hotel pool in a bid to relax and rejuvenate.
“The idea was to give the boys some time off to relax after a series of hectic days involving matches and tough training,” a team official told ‘The News’ from Adelaide.
“The players welcomed the idea and spent a lot of time in the pool, knowing well that the next few days are going to be pretty tough,” he added.
Pakistan are scheduled to train at the Adelaide Oval on Friday and Saturday before the crunch Pool B game against the Indians on Sunday.
The Green-shirts have never beaten India in a World Cup game but the team official said that the players are all confident of changing the script.
“The general mood in our dressing room is upbeat because the players know that they are in a very good position to change World Cup history against the Indians,” the official said.
When asked about the Sydney’s incident involving eight Pakistani players who were fined for breaking team curfew, the official said that the matter “has been dealt with” by the team management.
“It was an internal matter of the team and was sorted out by the manager,” he said referring to Naveed Akram Cheema, who is at the helm of Pakistan’s touring party.
The official said that the players were told in clear words that a second breach of discipline will fetch them a ticket back home.
“The team management is very particular about discipline and warned the players to behave during the rest of the World Cup,” he added.
The group of eight was fined 300 Australian dollars (US$230) each for violating team discipline.
Sources told ‘The News’ on Wednesday that the players slipped out of the team hotel in Sydney for a late night excursion.
The team management had decided to keep the incident a secret in a bid to shield the team’s morale ahead of the match against India.
However, several members of the Pakistani community in Sydney saw the Pakistani players in a local club late night. After that, tongues were bound to wag, as reported by ‘The News’ on Thursday.