new york [US],: Ahead of their ICC T20 World Cup clash against arch-rivals India, Pakistan white-ball coach Gary Kirsten said his team is motivated and focused despite a heartbreaking defeat to World Cup debutants USA in their last match, adding that the wicket at the Nassau County Stadium in New York would favour the bowlers.
It will be a “Super Sunday” at the Nassau County International Stadium on Sunday as arch rivals India and Pakistan face off in a highly anticipated ICC T20 World Cup clash that will see a host of sporting superstars in action. India are riding high on confidence and winning momentum following a convincing eight-wicket win over Ireland, while Pakistan will be looking to overcome the blues of their loss to co-hosts and debutant World Cup qualifiers USA by beating their biggest sporting rivals.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Kirsten said, “Well, I don’t like to dwell too much on the history. We just need to play the best cricket we can right now. So tomorrow we will try to maximise our skills and put the opposition under pressure. That’s what we want to do every game. We plan every game that way. So it’s up to us to motivate ourselves for the game.”
“India vs Pakistan is an important match. I know I don’t need to motivate the team anymore. The players are highly motivated and focused on the match. We just have to forget about the last few days and just move forward. That’s how you get through life. The result will take care of itself. But whether we go out there and give our best and perform to our skill set, that’s all we can control,” he added.
Speaking about the New York wicket, Kirsten said, “I think it favours the bowlers anyway. It doesn’t matter which team it is. For us, the batsmen for any team have to play with courage. They have to play with courage really, assess the situation, see what the score is if they bat first on this wicket and then as the game unfolds, they’ll plan to do what they can to get a competitive total. Whether we bat first or second will depend on the way we bowl.”
Kirsten acknowledged that the pace battery of Mohammed Amir, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah is the team’s strength but it is important that the team remains in top form.
“So we want to make sure we have spin options, good seam options and depth in the batting order. I think most teams are going to try and do that so whatever that turns out to be, that’s our aim,” he added.
Kirsten, who has been part of the cricketing frenzy as coach of both the Indian and Pakistan teams, said she found it fantastic that the excitement and hype surrounding both encounters was the same, adding that it was an honour to be a part of such a match.
“Cricket doesn’t get any bigger than this so I’m happy to be a part of it. I think it’s going to be a great occasion tomorrow. It’ll be the first time that India and Pakistan will play in America so it’s great to be here on the US tour. For all of us, one of the privileges of being involved in cricket is that we get to travel the world and see different places in the name of cricket. So it’s going to be a fun and great occasion,” he added.
On providing Pakistan with inside information about the Indian players, Kirsten said both the teams keep a close watch on each other’s play.
“Ultimately we want to make sure our game goes well, we look at the conditions and see what the conditions call for. I think that will be a big deciding factor tomorrow,” he added.
Kirsten also said the management is yet to finalise the squad as they are waiting for the fitness of a few players.
This will be their first time playing at the New York Stadium but unlike India, who have played two matches here, Kirsten said she cannot predict what will happen.
“I don’t know if it’s an advantage. You know what? Is it an advantage? Is it an advantage because I’ve played a lot of cricket here? Well, I don’t know the answer. I don’t know if it’s an advantage,” he added.
India squad: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Suriya Kumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Akshar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal, Sanju Samson, Kuldeep Yadav, Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Pakistan team: Mohammed Rizwan, Babar Azam, Usman Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan, Azam Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Mohammed Amir, Imad Wasim, Abrar Ahmed, Saim Ayub, Abbas Afridi.
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