The New Nation - Internet Edition

AP, New Delhi

Pakistan's cricket team arrived in India on Thursday amid tight security for a six-week tour comprising five limited-overs internationals and three tests.

Security staff escorted the Pakistan team out of New Delhi's international airport, blocking a crowd of fans from approaching the players.

The Pakistan team, minus paceman Mohammad Asif who dropped out of the tour due to an elbow injury just before the team embarked on the tour, will open the tour with a one-day practice match against a Delhi XI on Friday.

The Delhi team will be led by test opener Gautam Gambhir, but will miss star batsman Virender Sehwag, whose father died this week.

The Delhi XI will also be without injured pace pair of Ashish Nehra and Ishant Sharma. Nehra has pulled out of the match due to an ankle problem, while Sharma is recuperating from a shoulder injury.

Meanwhile, the Indian cricket board said it would ask its government to loosen a restriction that will see just 250 tickets per match sold to Pakistani fans.

Niranjan Shah, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, said Thursday that the allocation was too small and the board would ask for more tickets for traveling Pakistani fans.

"Our president will also meet with the (Indian) foreign minister," Shah said.

During the previous three tours - since resumption of cricket ties between the two countries after a long interlude - thousands of fans were allowed to travel to the neighboring nation and watch the fiercely contested cricket matches between longtime rivals.