Biryani on plate and boundary length on mind for Pakistan's Babar

Cricket - Third Test - Pakistan vs. England - National Stadium - Karachi, Pakistan - December 16, 2022. After a practice session at the National Stadium in Karachi, Pakistan's captain, Babar Azam, is addressing a news conference. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro/File Photo. Obtain licensing rights.

Ahmedabad, India, October 4 (Reuters) - The expectations on Biryani (referring to Babar Azam) in Hyderabad are fulfilled, but the Pakistani captain is concerned that the 50-over World Cup might not be as straightforward a contest between bat and ball because the boundaries are shorter, mostly resembling Indian venues.

The youth of Babar's team received a warm welcome in Hyderabad, which is their first tour to India since the T20 World Cup in 2016. Due to strained political relations, bilateral cricket between India and Pakistan is suspended, and the bitter neighbors only compete in multi-team events.

Babar and his team received overwhelming support after arriving in Hyderabad, where they played warm-up matches. They are set to start their campaign for the second 50-over World Cup title against the Netherlands in the same South Indian city on Friday.

"The hospitality has been excellent - we didn't expect this," Babar said during a media interaction with other captains on Wednesday. "It's been a week in Hyderabad, and it doesn't feel like we are in India. It feels like we are at home."

A member of Pakistan's coaching staff praised Hyderabad's famous Biryani on social media, and all-rounder Shadab Khan, after one of the warm-up matches, humorously attributed his slow performance on the field to the Biryani.

"We had heard a lot about Hyderabad Biryani, and we liked it," said Babar, currently the top-ranked ODI batsman, praising the popular dish.

Although they were less affected by short boundaries at some Indian venues, which had concerned them about reducing the margin for bowlers in the next six weeks, they said boundaries are small. There is no margin for bowlers.

"If the bowling is a bit off, the batsman uses it, so there will be high scores," he said.

Babar's concerns are understandable after Pakistan's bowling lost a lot of sting with the absence of speedster Naseem Shah due to a shoulder injury that ruled him out of the World Cup.

Babar had high expectations from his bowling unit, led by the rapid-paced Shaheen Afridi in the absence of speedster Naseem Shah.

"It's almost the same team that has been playing together for the past three years, and I think our bowling is our strength," Babar said.

Reporting by Anmol Chakraborty in Ahmedabad; Editing by Christian Radnedge.Our Standards The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.