Mohali: On the backfoot after his team's loss to arch-rivals India in Kolkata last week, Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi chose to raise an unexpected controversy - raking up Kashmir, of all things - before the start of a World T20 here on Tuesday.

Asked by former Pakistan cricket captain and now commentator Rameez Raja if he and his team had support from the crowds here, Afridi said that "a lot of people are here for Kashmir".