ODI World Cup: No Beef For Pakistanis In India; What’s On The Menu?

Hyderabad: The morning after landing in India for the first time in seven years, the Pakistan cricket team hit the ground running here on Thursday.

Delighted with the reception they received in Hyderabad last evening and training facilities at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium today, Pakistan began their preparation for the ICC ODI World Cup in right earnest.

The men in green will play two warm-up matches against New Zealand (September 29) and Australia (October 3) here before launching their World Cup campaign with a match against unfancied Netherlands at this very venue on October 6.

Even as they have looked a happy bunch after arriving in India, how are they being treated at the hotel, especially on the food front?

For starters, they won’t get any beef item in India, as the organisers have made it clear to all 10 participating teams.

Hence the Pakistanis will have to manage with chicken, mutton and fish for their daily protein intake.

They couldn’t have hoped for a better city to be based in for the first phase of their World Cup campaign, as Hyderabad is famous for Mughlai cuisine and, of course, its biryani.

The Pakistan team’s diet chart, which PTI has accessed, includes grilled lamb chops, mutton curry, butter chicken and grilled fish.

As for their carbohydrate intake, the Pakistan contingent has asked the stadium caterer for steamed basmati rice, spaghetti in Bolognese sauce and vegetarian pulao. As Pakistan are here for almost two weeks, the cheat meals could include the famous Hyderabadi biryani.

There’s no doubt that the Pakistan squad will get the very best of hospitality in every city they travel to for the matches. But one thing Babar Azam & Co. won’t surely get is any favours at the gigantic Narendra Modi Stadium at Motera, Ahmedabad, on October 14 when they come up against Rohit Sharma’s Team India.