"There's A Lot Of Data": Ireland Coach Fires Warning To Team India

Ireland batting coach Gary Wilson spoke about his team's preparations to counter India in their ICC T20 World Cup match and said with their diligent analyst they have plans for each player in their tournament opener. Ireland's campaign at the T20 World Cup 2024 starts with a match against India at the Nassau County International Stadium in New York on Wednesday.

Wilson said with careful planning and analysis, Ireland hopes to gain an advantage over India.

"Yeah, 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.

Wilson voiced his hope that fortune would favour his team at the site, which hosted a relatively low-scoring contest between Sri Lanka and South Africa.

Talking about the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium pitch, Wilson said, "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."

The Irish defeated Pakistan less than a month ago, and their propensity to surprise major opponents is something India should be concerned about.

"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.

The Paul Stirling-led team may find the Indians to be an unstoppable force, having never won a match against them in seven attempts.

Ireland have been placed in Group A of the marquee event alongwith USA, Canada, India, and Pakistan.

Ireland Squad: Paul Stirling (C), Mark Adair, Ross Adair, Andrew Balbirnie, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Graham Hume, Josh Little, Barry McCarthy, Neil Rock, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White, Craig Young.

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