Floored by the warm reception in India after their arrival for the World Twenty20 Championship, Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi and senior all-rounder Shoaib Malik on Sunday said they have never felt any security threat in the country.
The Pakistani team touched down in Kolkata on Saturday night after getting government clearance to travel, a decision that was delayed by several days over security concerns.
In fact, Pakistan’s marquee World T20 clash against India on March 19 had be moved from Dharamsala to Kolkata after Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh expressed his inability to provide adequate security cover in the wake of protests by the state’s ex-servicemen.
However, both Afridi and Malik played down the intense media focus on Pakistan’s security.
“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,” Afridi said.
“There are cricket-loving people here, much like in Pakistan. Overall, I’ve enjoyed a lot playing in India in my cricketing career,” he added.
Echoing Afridi’s sentiment, Malik, who is married to Indian tennis star Sania Mirza, said he feels honoured to be in India.
“Firstly I would like to thank the Indian Government. 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.
