Pakistan vice-captain Shadab Khan joked that eating too much Hyderabadi biryani impacted his team's performance in the 2023 World Cup warm-up matches.
The Men in Green played their two warm-up matches in Hyderabad. Their first match was against New Zealand on September 29, while their second game against Australia took place on October 3. Pakistan lost both games at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
Shadab Khan captained Pakistan on Tuesday against the Aussies. Speaking with the host broadcasters after the match, Khan jokingly gave the following reply when asked about Hyderabadi biryani:
"We are eating it daily, and perhaps that is why we are getting a bit slow (laughs)."
Hyderabadi biryani is one of the most famous dishes in the world. Pakistan players have come to India for the first time since the 2016 T20 World Cup. They received a warm welcome at the airport in Hyderabad, and it looks like they have been enjoying their time in Hyderabad.
"Result is not important. We took a lot of positives"- Shadab Khan comments on Pakistan's defeats in warm-up matches
Pakistan were one of the two teams to lose both of its warm-up matches ahead of the 2023 World Cup. Their bowling attack conceded more than 300 runs in both the matches. Commenting on the team's overall performance in the warm-up matches, Shadab Khan said:
"Result is not important. We took a lot of positives. Our attitude was good, result not in our hands. I think our 11 is sorted, we just wanted to give time to the bench to show their skills."
"When you play against Australia and New Zealand, you get confidence. We got a little bit experience of conditions [in Hyderabad]," he concluded.
Pakistan will play their first two matches of the World Cup in Hyderabad. Their opening match is against the Netherlands on Friday (October 6), and their second game against Sri Lanka is at the same venue on October 10.
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