Kolkata: Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi says the delay in the team's arrival for the World Twenty20 due to security concerns has not hampered its preparations.

Afridi says Sunday that the team had been practicing and was always mentally prepared to participate in the tournament.

The Pakistan team's departure was delayed after the Pakistan Cricket Board asked for specific security assurances from the Indian government prompted by the ICC changing the venue of its 19 March match against India from Dharamsala to Kolkata.

The Pakistan team was originally scheduled to fly out to Kolkata from Lahore on Wednesday but that was delayed until Saturday evening.

Player safety became an issue after Virbhadra Singh, chief minister of Himachal Pradesh state, said he could not provide adequate security.