Re: Pakistan cricketers in no hurry to return home, to stopover in London, Dubai
Pakistan team arrives in London for short stay
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\03\26\story_26-3-2007_pg2_2
LONDON: Pakistan’s cricketers, dumped out of the sport’s showpiece World Cup and rocked by the murder of their coach, arrived in London on Sunday for a pre-arranged stay before heading home. The team touched down at London’s main Heathrow Airport after boarding a flight from the Caribbean late on Saturday. “All of the camp were very, very down,” said Dalawar Chaudhry, who is employed by the team to provide hospitality during their time in Britain, as he waited for the squad to come through arrivals. “They are young Pakistani boys out of their homeland. Although they have travelled widely, they have never had this type of experience in their lives.” Without specifying exact details, the British stopover was pre-arranged before the World Cup and would give the players time for prayer and reflection before they rejoined their families in Pakistan, he added. The team were the last to leave the plane and were escorted off by six police officers. Television pictures on Britain’s Sky News showed the team looking grim-faced and speaking little as they headed to collect their baggage. They then boarded a bus parked at the back of the terminal to avoid the phalanx of camera crews waiting for them in the main concourse. “I have had a word with all the boys and they have lost someone very near and dear to them. A father figure has been lost. They haven’t been sleeping well. It’s been a very emotional time,” Chaudhry said. afp