IND vs PAK: "I Feel Very Very Special Today At The Hayden Household To Welcome You All" - Matthew Hayden Says After Hosting Dinner For Pakistan Cricket Team At His Home

Pakistan lost their first warm-up match against England. They were reduced to 160/8 in a 19-over-a-side match, and England made a mockery of the chase by winning in 14.5 overs. Their second warm-up match against Afghanistan got rained out.

Pakistan cricket team’s mentor and batting coach, Matthew Hayden, hosted a dinner for the team at his home in Brisbane, Queensland, and they spent the evening at their team mentor’s house.

In a video released by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Pakistani cricketers can be seen enjoying the food and having a good time. Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar was also present and can be seen speaking with Pakistan skipper Babar Azam, batting coach Mohammad Yusuf, and head coach Saqlain Mushtaq.

It Is Such A Beautiful Part Of Our life – Matthew Hayden

“I feel very very special today at the Hayden household to welcome you all. We welcome you in our house which also means we welcome you in our hearts as well,” said an emotional Hayden.

“I have had a few moments like this over the last couple of days where I feel enormous gratitude and appreciation for our greatest game of all — that’s cricket. It starts with brotherhood, then it extends to family, and then it extends to countries and that’s cricket. It is such a beautiful part of our life,” he added.

Hayden has been appointed Pakistan’s team mentor for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup for the second time, having previously worked with the team in the 2021 tournament. The Southpaw joined the Pakistan team in Brisbane on October 15, the day after the New Zealand T20I tri-series concluded in Christchurch.

Pakistan dominated the group stage of last year’s T20 World Cup, defeating arch-rivals India for the first time in World Cup events. Pakistan have played two warm-up games against England and Afghanistan before the Super 12 matches. The Babar will lead Pakistan in the marquee event and the Men in Green will take on the Men in Blue in their opening encounter of the World Cup at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, on Sunday, October 23.

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