The first thing that seems to have gone for a six in the Indo-Pak series begins is visitors’ impression. Chandigarh, so far, has been a letdown for Pakistani fans who are getting to experience ‘‘Indian hospitality’’ first hand.Mohammad Yasin of Lahore has been fuming at Sector 16 cricket stadium. He and his four friends have been put up in a room at Ashirwaad Complex in Sector 45 and it’s been an ordeal so far. ‘‘The room has not been dusted and the complex adjoins a village (Burail),’’ he says. Yasin said the last time he came in 1999, things were better. ‘‘This morning, we went to the PCA stadium to ask for a better place to stay. They dropped us at this stadium and said a bus would take us to our new accommodation at 4 pm.’’ The five had no clue how to bide time. ‘‘Forget free rides, the auto-rickshawallahs charge as they like,’’ says Abid.Together, with Aftab, Nadeem, Amir, Amaan and Saber Ali, realisation struck last night when the Punjab Roadways bus carrying them broke down near Balachaur, 75 km from here. They arrived in the city around 3 am.At Panchkula, guests said they were being fleeced from the word go. ‘‘We got 50 Indian rupees for 100 Pakistani rupees at a jewellery shop in Sector 17 here,’’ said Tarif Hussain Khan of Sialkot. The official exchange rate is Rs 1.20 in Pakistani currency for every Indian rupee.
