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In a remarkable display of sportsmanship and camaraderie, the Pakistan cricket team took matters into their own hands upon arriving in Australia, loading their luggage without any official reception from the Pakistan embassy or Cricket Australia.
Shaheen Afridi addresses incident, expresses team’s unity and time constraints
A day after videos circulated on social media showing Pakistan players personally handling their baggage, the team’s newly appointed T20I captain, Shaheen Afridi, shed light on the incident. Speaking to media before their first practice session in Canberra, Afridi explained that the team only had a 30-minute window to catch their connecting flight, prompting the players to assist with the luggage due to a shortage of personnel.
“We only had 30 minutes to catch our next flight, and we helped because there were just two people. We wanted to wrap it up fast and save time,” stated the 23-year-old fast bowler, emphasizing the unity within the team.
“We call this team a family and helped them as a family.”
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‘We will not give easy runs to David Warner’: Shaheen
As the team gears up for the Test series against Australia, Shaheen also commented on the impending retirement of Australian opening batter David Warner from Test cricket. Warner, set to conclude his illustrious career after the series against Pakistan, received both good wishes and a warning from Afridi.
“We would wish him good luck, but we don’t want a memorable end for him,” Afridi remarked confidently, suggesting that Pakistan would not make things easy for the retiring cricketer.
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The incident at the airport and Shaheen’s subsequent statements underscore the resilience and unity within the Pakistan cricket team, setting a positive tone as they begin their tour of Australia.