Australian leg-spinner Fawad Ahmed, who served as the spin-bowling consultant for the number one ranked Test team during their recent trip to Pakistan, has revealed that the touring party was sympathetic towards the problem faced by common Pakistani people due to the security accorded to them.
The Australian team travelled to Pakistan for the first time in 24 years. Earlier this March, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) gave Pat Cummins-led unit 'presidential-level security'.
Speaking to Cricket Pakistan, Ahmed revealed that the Aussie players were well aware of the sacrifices that the common public had to make for the smooth functioning of the tour.
He also lauded the PCB for the world-class arrangements they made for the touring party but urged them to create hotels close to the stadiums to avoid shelling out extra money on security.
"The security was amazing. The government and PCB both spent millions of dollars to make sure the series went smoothly and they offered us presidential-level security," said Ahmed.
"I heard several Australian players who talked about how the people were suffering due to their arrival because they have this kind of awareness within themselves. It will be fantastic if PCB actually carried out their plans to create hotels next to stadiums - that way they can limit the amount of money spent on a daily basis," he added.
The Australian players were taken aback by the kind of support and love they received from the Pakistani fans.
"The home team crowd showed immense support for the Australian players. While leaving the crowd, the fans would be chanting 'Aussie, Aussie' which was also something new for these players because they are used to hostile crowds in countries like India, West Indies, England, and South Africa," he revealed.
Australia went on to script their maiden Test series win in Asia since 2011 as they beat the home side 1-0 in a high-scoring three-match affair.
Pakistan, however, went on to win the ODI series against a second-string Australian team, while the tourists won the one-off T20I.