Wednesday 30 / October / 2024
New York : Pakistan white-ball coach Gary Kirsten has a significant challenge ahead of him as he aims to keep the campaign of his current team alive, but it can only happen if he can beat his former side.
One of the biggest rivalries in sporting history, India and Pakistan are set to face each other at New York's Nassau County International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
But this time, the rivalry between the two juggernauts will have a different touch to it. The emotional aspect of the fans is ever-present during the entirety of the game.
But this time, a familiar face for the Indian team will be present in the Pakistan dugout, Gary Kirsten. The former South African cricketer is the first person to coach both India and Pakistan. During his reign, India ended their 28-year hiatus and lifted the coveted ODI World Cup.
But this time the equation for Kirsten will be different. To save Pakistan from falling into turmoil, Kirsten would need to get his tactical play right and help the Men in Green get past their bitter rival.
"It's great to be part of. I certainly see it as a massive privilege to be part of these games. I've had, I think, two of them. So, it's great to be involved in this. Cricket doesn't get bigger than this. So, it's fun to be a part of. I think it's going to be a great occasion tomorrow. The first kind of India-Pakistan game in America," Kirsten said during a pre-match press conference.
History has always been used to evaluate which side will be the on-paper favourites. Just like other instances, it is favouring India.
India tapped into their rich form just at the right time. While Pakistan's decision to play more cricket before the World Cup seems to have backfired.
They arrived in the tournament after losing the T20I series against England by 2-0. The losing momentum played ticks on their minds, which led to their unprecedented loss to the USA in the Super Over.
Even in the T20 World Cup, out of seven matches, Pakistan beat their arch-rival once. It took a spirited opening stand from Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan to take the game away from India in 2021.
While, India managed to bag five wickets, one game ended in a draw but they managed to pip Pakistan by bowl-out.
Yet Kirsten isn't looking to pick up the old books. He wants his team to stay motivated and play to the best of their capabilities.
"Yeah, I don't like to harp on history too much. We need to make sure we play the best cricket we can now. So tomorrow we're going to go out there and make sure we do the best that we can with our skill sets and how we can put pressure on the opposition. I mean that's what we would want to do every game," he said.
"That's certainly how we would plan for every game. So, it's really up to us to get ourselves up for the game. It's a big game, India-Pakistan, we know there's no need for me to motivate the team anymore. They're well motivated, they're focused on this game. We've had 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, they take care of themselves. But the way we arrive at a match and pitch up and give it our best shot and make sure that our skills are up to where they need to be, that's all we can control," he added.
India T20 WC squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
Pakistan T20 WC squad: Babar Azam (c), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan.
