Islamabad, Pakistan — Prime Minister of Pakistan Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani hosted a reception for the Pakistan Cricket Team at his official residence in Islamabad yesterday on Monday April 11, 2011.

Pakistan Cricket Team returned from India after taking part in ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, in which they preformed excellently and reached to the semi-finals, no one expected them to reach.

All 15 team members alongside Captain Shahid Afridi were awarded with Rs 1 Million by the Prime Minister of Pakistan as a reward for their honourable performance in the Cricket World Cup 2011. Other officials with the cricket team were awarded with Rs 0.5 million each.

The reception at which Interior Minister Rehman Malik was also present, provided the Captain of Pakistan Cricket team Shahid Afridi an opportunity to mend things with Rahman Malik, who had warned the members of Pakistan Cricket team to stay away from match-fixing, which made Afridi angry and he stated before the semi-final of the cricket world cup 2011 with arch-rivals India that it will not help team morale.

However, Shahid Afridi put his spat with Rehman Malik behind him and was all smile during the reception.

Afridi said ‘We do not hold a grudge against Malik.’

PM Gilani said over the occasion that Pakistan’s youth need a channel to guide their energy towards it and what better channel could be than sports.