Ireland will be eager to bounce back from the heavy defeat to India when they face Canada today in their second game at the T20 World Cup.
The team cancelled its practice at Cantiague Park in Hicksville yesterday, reckoning the dire pitches there were not worth risking any more injuries. South Africa abandoned their net session the day before, resorting to throw-downs.
Instead, Paul Stirling wandered the corridors of the team hotel mouthing ‘heads; heads; heads’, getting in the most useful practice for a match which could be a lottery dependent on who calls correctly at the toss.
The reverberations continued from Wednesday’s Nausea in Nassau with various commentators chipping in with criticism of the substandard surface.
Former England coach Andy Flower said: ‘That is not a good surface to play an international match on. It is bordering on dangerous. You saw the ball bouncing from a length both ways, skidding low occasionally, but in the main, it was bouncing unusually high and striking people on the thumb, on the gloves, and on the helmet.’
And ex-England captain Michael Vaughan tweeted: ‘Trying to sell the game in the States is great I love it … but for players to have to play on this substandard surface in New York is unacceptable … You work so hard to make it to the WC then have to play on this’.
Ireland batting coach Gary Wilson responded to a query about the adaptability of his batters: ‘Firstly it’s a difficult wicket and secondly against very highly skilful bowlers.
‘I spoke with Stirlo after about three or four overs and the main message was that if we can get anywhere sort of competitive, then we would be in with a chance because of the movement.
‘And we do know our bowlers can extract movement whenever it’s there.
‘It was about not having the mindset of we’re playing against India and we have to go and get 180-190. It’s not that type of pitch.
‘It was more, “can we get it to a competitive score?” And unfortunately, we were probably just a little bit short of that.
‘We are going to go away and assess and have a think about how we’re going to put that competitive score against Canada on Friday.
‘The toss is quite big. We definitely got the rough end of that but that’s cricket.’
The toss will again be vital, with another untested pitch being used. And while Ireland could have made life difficult for India had they won the toss on Wednesday, the lower-ranked
Canadians can do the same to Ireland today if Stirling calls wrongly.
Ireland last faced the Canucks in 2019, when they lost in Abu Dhabi, and lead the head-tohead in the format 3-2.
Their side is one of the oldest in the competition but after losing their five recent encounters with the USA, are unlikely to give Ireland any headaches – unless they win the toss.
Ireland’s group was thrown wide open last night when USA. who beat Canada in their opener, stunned Pakistan in one of the great World Cup shocks.
It is a result that has rocked the tournament on its heels, with the hosts defeating 2022 finalists Pakistan after a super over packed with drama.
Both sides racked up 159 from their 20 overs in Grand Prairie, Texas setting up the super over where the USA smashed 18 runs as the Pakistani fielders wobbled. Pakistan replied with 13.