Pakistan have been given a much-needed boost ahead of their T20 World Cup clash with India on Sunday with all-rounder Imad Wasim now fit to play.
Imad was forced to sit out Pakistan’s opening match, a humiliating defeat to the United States in Dallas, and also missed the final game of the pre-tournament series against England, reportedly with a rib injury.
However, Pakistan coach Gary Kirsten said in his pre-match press conference that the 35-year-old left-arm spinner is available.
“He is available,” said the South African, who took charge of Pakistan in April.
Kirsten could not give any details about Pakistan’s expected squad as they are waiting for fitness updates on other players.
But the coach said no matter who plays, Pakistan will need any extra motivation to bounce back from a tough loss to the United States with a win over their arch rivals.
“It’s not good for any player not to win a cricket match. The players are trying their best. It’s not good. I don’t think there was a need to galvanise the team for this match,” he said.
“I think what’s important for us is just working as a team. Of course, you need individual players to perform well, but to play a game like this, I think it’s true teamwork.”
“It’s an important game so we’re going to approach it like any other game. Of course we’re going to give it our all. The team is motivated. We’ve forgotten what happened two days ago. We can’t take it back. It’s over now, so we just move on,” the manager said.
The court at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium has received much criticism for its uneven bounce, something India captain Rohit Sharma, who was forced to withdraw injured after being hit on the arm during Wednesday’s match against Ireland, knows all too well.
However, the skipper said it was important for the team to not worry about the wickets or the situation and stay focused on the basics.
“I think the key is to play good cricket no matter who we are playing. We know what to expect from the pitch conditions so we have to prepare as if these conditions are expected,” he said.
“We’ve had a lot of discussions about what to do in these situations. We’ve had extensive conversations with each of them about what the game plan is for hitters and pitchers. You just have to try to control what you can control.”
“We have a lot of experienced players in the dressing room, so when we come across a situation like this, I expect everyone to at least try to make good decisions. Again, we will go into it the same way as we did in the first game. Nothing will change for us. We want to be in tip-top form, batting, pitching and fielding,” he said.
Rohit also noted that there is always a degree of surprise in T20 and was careful not to dwell too much on Pakistan’s loss to the USA.
“That’s the thing about T20 cricket. Anything can happen anywhere. In the World Cup last year, Pakistan lost to Zimbabwe. But we ended up reaching the final. You don’t have to think too much about how your opponent is doing. It doesn’t take much time to get in form in this format,” he said.
“I think this format is a little bit different to ODI or Test cricket. It’s about consistency and how you play. But in T20 cricket, I think it’s about what’s happening on the day,” he said.
Critical/RCW
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