Pakistan's middle-order batter Saud Shakeel has rued the absence of ardent Pakistani fans in their last World Cup 2023 clash against arch-rivals India at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

The highly-anticipated match turned out to be a lopsided affair as the hosts humiliated Babar Azam and his men by seven wickets in front of a capacity crowd.

Reflecting on the loss, Shakeel highlighted the added pressure the team faced in the marquee fixture.

"I think we were under extra pressure, so we tried to get out of that and wanted to play shots," Shakeel was quoted as saying by AFP.

Only a handful of Pakistani supporters were seen at the venue, mainly expatriates from the United Kingdom and the United States since supporters from Pakistan faced challenges in obtaining visas.

A couple of days ago, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said that it has lodged a 'formal protest' over the delay in visas for Pakistan journalists and the absence of a visa policy for Pakistan fans.

The PCB also mentioned that it has filed an official complaint with the ICC regarding "inappropriate conduct targeted at the Pakistan squad” during the match in Ahmedabad.

"When you have your crowd, then you get the support. We did not get that, and it was not in our hands," Shakeel added.

Pakistan’s next World Cup clash is scheduled against Australia at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore on Friday (October 20).

“The mistakes we committed in the last game, we must overcome them. That match is gone. If we win against Australia then our position will get better,” said Saud.

“Australia are always good in the World Cup. They are a very good side. We know our strong areas and we must play good cricket.”

Despite an embarrassing loss to India, Pakistan are still well-placed in the tournament after wins against Netherlands and Sri Lanka to begin their campaign.

(With AFP Inputs)