Mohali : Pakistan team Tuesday opted to take rest while Indians had a light net session to prepare for Wednesday's high-octane cricket World Cup semi-final clash.
Pakistanis, who have been training regularly since coming here after beating the West Indies in the quarterfinal, chose to spend the day in their hotel and get much-needed rest ahead of the big match which will be watched by Prime Ministers of both the countries.
Only captain Shahid Afridi turned up at PCA stadium for mandatory pre-match press conference and also briefly posed for the photographers with rival captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Two captains greeted eachother and then posed for cameras but there were no pleasantries exchanged, in some way indicating the tense mood in both camps on eve of blockbuster match.
Dhoni was first to address press conference and understandably much of questions related to pressure, hype, frenzy and cricket diplomacy.
Afridi's one-liners and brief answers provided some light-hearted moments at press conference. He emphasized his team's desire to bring the World Cup to Pakistan and restore the image of cricket there.
Later, Dhoni joined his teammates at practice session which started with a game of football. The players then went for a light batting session at the net. The nearly two-and-half-hour session ended with some fielding practice with emphasis on ground fielding and catching.
Immediately after team left the stadium, grounds men got down to work as they covered pitch so that itdid not crack because of bright sunshine. The stadium was locked down for a thorough security check at4 pm and journalists asked to complete their work at media centre before that.
