T20 World Cup 2024: Canada Secures Victory Against Ireland As New York Pitch Slows Down

New York, Jun 8 (PTI): Canada captain Saad Bin Zafar on Friday highlighted the pitch conditions at the Nassau County ground, which slowed down in the second half of their T20 World Cup 2024 match against Ireland. Canada secured a 12-run victory, marking their first-ever win in the tournament.

After posting a total of 137/7 in the first innings, Canada managed to restrict Ireland to 125 for seven. "The wicket got a bit slow today, so it worked to our advantage. We gambled with an extra spinner and I feel both myself and Junaid (Siddiqui) bowled really well," Zafar said during the post-match presentation.

The pitch at Nassau County has been under scrutiny for being challenging to bat on, producing low-scoring games. This is particularly significant with the upcoming clash between India and Pakistan on Sunday.

Zafar expressed hope that Canada could maintain their momentum in their next game against Pakistan. "One game at a time, we need to enjoy this win and come back strong against Pakistan. We are here to play positive cricket," he stated. Describing their win as a "proud moment," Zafar praised his team for a unified performance.

"(It's a) very proud moment for the team. The way Kirton and Movva batted, we knew we had a good total to defend. We needed a good performance from the bowling unit and I am so proud of my bowlers for putting their hand up and delivering," he added.

Ireland captain Paul Stirling, who continued his poor run with the bat by scoring only nine runs, hoped his team would improve in all areas. "(It was a) tough loss, we weren't at the races today. The target was gettable and we didn't think we'd struggle too much," he said.

"We were off in all three facets today, we need to show a better game when we go to Miami and Florida. We don't want to look too far into the future, we've got USA next," Stirling added.

Nicholas Kirton, who played a crucial role with a match-winning 49 (35 balls, 3x4s, 2x6s), emphasised the importance of bouncing back after their defeat against USA in the tournament opener. "Bouncing back from the first game was important. Trust me, it wasn't that easy. (I) just tried to get in, get the pace of the wicket. Honestly it wasn't that bad. There was an area in the middle of the wicket that was a bit up and down, but otherwise it was a good wicket to bat on," he said.

"(It is) very good to get our first win in the World Cup. Hopefully we can continue from strength to strength. Our next focus is Pakistan. Two spinners bowled very well (as there was a) bit of purchase on offer," he added.