Ireland’s batting coach, Gary Wilson, expressed confidence in his team’s preparation ahead of their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 opener against India at the Nassau County International Stadium in New York.
Wilson emphasized the team’s comprehensive analysis of the Indian squad, stating that they possess detailed plans for each player. He acknowledged India’s strength as a team with vast experience playing across the globe, but also highlighted Ireland‘s own capabilities.
“They’re (Indian team) a team we know a lot about. There’s a lot of data on them. They play lots of games around the world…They are all very good players, that’s the bottom line. But we also have very good players as well, and I think it’ll be whoever turns up on the day and plays the best cricket…We have our plans for all the players. To be honest, our analyst is very diligent. And like I said, there’s lots of data out there with the amount of cricket the Indians play,” Wilson told ANI.
Addressing the challenge of playing at an unfamiliar venue, Wilson acknowledged the limited data available from the single World Cup match played at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium. He noted the low-scoring nature of the previous game and emphasized the need to assess the conditions upon arrival.
“It’s hard to analyse as only one match was played there in the World Cup. In the first match, one team scored just 77 and the other team chased it. So we will have to assess the conditions. The ground looks quite big. Running between the wickets might be the key.”
Wilson drew confidence from Ireland’s recent victory against Pakistan, highlighting their ability to compete against top-ranked teams.
He also referenced a closely contested match against India in Malahide a couple of years ago as evidence of their potential. “It is a confidence boost. We had a very close game against India in Malahide a couple of years ago but unfortunately, we could not get over the line. We know we can do well against any team. We are playing good cricket, we came into the tournament with good form,” he added.
Despite Ireland’s winless record against India in seven encounters, Wilson remained optimistic about their chances. He believes that with a strong performance on the day, Ireland can overcome the challenge and secure a historic victory.
Ireland, led by Paul Stirling, are placed in Group A of the T20 World Cup alongside India, Pakistan, USA, and Canada. Following the game against Ireland, India will lock horns with Pakistan in a high-octane clash on June 9. On the other hand, Ireland will take on Canada on June 7.
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