Pakistan's head coach Gary Kirsten assured fans that his team is fully motivated ahead of their crucial T20 World Cup encounter against arch-rivals India, scheduled for Sunday at Nassau County Stadium. The assurance comes in the wake of Pakistan's unexpected loss to hosts USA in a Super Over, marking a sour start to their tournament campaign.
Kirsten, speaking at a media briefing, emphasized the significance of the India-Pakistan rivalry: "It's a big game, India vs Pakistan. There's no need for me to motivate the team anymore. They are well-motivated and focused for this game."
Reflecting on Pakistan's recent defeat, Kirsten urged his team to move forward: "We have to forget about the last couple of days and just move forward. That's the only way you can deal with life. Results are results, and they take care of themselves."
India, having played two matches including a warm-up against Bangladesh, has acclimatized to the conditions in New York. In contrast, this will be Pakistan's first match at Nassau County Stadium for the tournament. Kirsten, however, downplayed any perceived advantage for India, stating, "We're going to go out there and make sure we do the best we can with our skill sets and how we can put pressure on the opposition."
Kirsten, who previously coached India to a World Cup victory in 2011, acknowledged the uniqueness of this contest being held outside of India or Pakistan: "I think it is a little bit different because it's not in India or Pakistan."
When asked about the potential advantage of knowing Indian players well from his time coaching in the IPL, Kirsten dismissed any special advantage, saying, "These players have seen enough of each other and how they play. In the end, we want to make sure that we get our game right looking at the conditions and what is required because I think that's going to be a big play."
Highlighting the need for a collective effort to overcome India, Kirsten stressed, "It's never nice not winning games for any player. They [Pakistan players] are trying their best. The important thing for us is that we operate genuinely as a team."
Looking ahead, Kirsten identified pace bowling as Pakistan's strength on a challenging batting pitch, emphasizing a balanced approach. "It certainly is a strength of ours. We like to look at the balance of our team. It's important that you cover all the bases. We want to make sure we've got spin options, good seam options, and a deep batting line-up," he concluded.
Both teams are gearing up for a high-stakes encounter, with Pakistan eager to bounce back and India aiming to maintain their momentum in this crucial match.
