Paul Stirling, the captain of Ireland, has expressed frustration over his team’s lack of access to the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium pitch in New York. This comes ahead of their crucial T20 World Cup 2024 match against India.
India had already played a warm-up match against Bangladesh at this venue and had the opportunity to inspect the conditions for their upcoming games against Ireland and Pakistan. However, the Irish team was not given the same privilege, much to Stirling’s dismay.
Stirling’s Frustration
Stirling emphasized the importance of seeing the pitch before finalizing the playing XI. “We haven’t actually seen the ground and it doesn’t look like we’re going to before the game. So, we’ve got to keep everyone waiting on the selection front until we’ve seen the pitch,” he said.
He continued, “We’re down to 12 or 13 players, but you can’t make those calls until you get to the day and see what the conditions are in front of us.”
Stirling acknowledged the formidable challenge posed by India, especially with their top bowlers fresh from the IPL. However, he remains optimistic about Ireland’s chances.
“India are a really difficult challenge. They’ve got top bowlers and are coming off the IPL, so we know they bring the highest quality in cricket standards,” Stirling noted.
Despite the hurdles, Stirling is confident. “No matter what happens, if we put in a strong performance, we’ll go into the next three games of the group with confidence,” he added.
Advantage For India
Team India has an edge over other teams because they played their warm-up match at the same ground, unlike other teams. They will also play their three out of four group matches at the same venue in New York.
Meanwhile, Indian captain Rohit Sharma praised Ireland’s squad, highlighting the experience of many Irish players in T20 leagues worldwide.
“It is going to be a great game. They have a great team and play a lot of T20 cricket around the world. It will be as competitive as any other match. We have to be at our best. That is how T20 cricket goes. If we lose our focus, there is a chance we do not end up on the right side,” Rohit said.
Well, despite the pitch controversy, India and Ireland are gearing up for a fierce battle. And it is expected to be a good match as we have recently seen that Ireland has the ability to surprise any team on their day.
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