Hyderabad, Sep 28 (IANS): Pakistan cricket team on Thursday had a brief practice session at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium ahead of their World Cup warm-up match against New Zealand on Friday.

The team, which landed in Hyderabad on Wednesday night, left Park Hyatt hotel around 8 a.m. for the stadium and returned before noon. Tight security arrangements were made for the team’s travel and at the stadium.

With the mammoth Ganesh immersion procession in the city scheduled during the day, the net practice session was scheduled in the morning.

The mammoth procession brings the city to a complete halt. Over 20,000 policemen have been deployed as part of the massive security for immersion in and around Hyderabad.

In view of the Ganesh immersion and also Milad-un-Nabi procession in the city on Sunday, the city police have requested the organisers not to allow spectators in the stadium for the first warm-up match scheduled on Saturday.

Pakistan’s next warm-up match will be against Australia on October 3. It is scheduled two World Cup matches here against Netherlands and Sri Lanka before heading to Ahmedabad for the big match against India on October 14.

The team led by Babar Azam flew into the city via Dubai for the first tour to India in seven years.

The team had last played in India in 2016 when it was here for the T20 World Cup.