Cricket doesn’t get bigger than India vs Paksitan: Gary Kirsten

While many try to underplay the importance of an India vs Pakistan cricket match, Men in Green head coach Gary Kirsten was surprisingly honest in his assessment, labelling the storied rivalry as the biggest in cricket.

“I certainly see it as a massive privilege to be part of these games,” he said in the pre-match press conference. “Cricket doesn’t get bigger than this. It’s going to be a great occasion.”

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The India game has virtually become a must-win contest for Pakistan after their defeat to the USA in the T20 World Cup 2024 opener, but Kirsten said that Men in Green are no longer thinking about their first match.

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“I don’t like to harp on history too much,” Kirsten said. “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. That’s what we would want to do every game, 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. There’s no need for me to motivate the team any more, they’re well motivated, they’re focused for this game. We’ve 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 we need to be – that’s all we can control.”

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Kirsten, who won the 2011 ODI World Cup with India as head coach, has only been with the Pakistan team for a fortnight but added that “it’s been a real privilege” for him.

“I’ve been with the team for 13 days, so it’s early days for me but it’s been a real privilege to work with the Pakistan team,” he said.