Ireland has shown a lot of potential but they are not able to get over the line. There were high hopes from Ireland in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 but they were not ready for Namibia Challenge. Since the conclusion of the last edition, Ireland has played 22 T20Is out of which they won 9 matches.
Squad: Andrew Balbirnie (c), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Stephen Doheny, Fionn Hand, Josh Little, Barry McCarthy, Conor Olphert, Simi Singh, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Graham Hume.
Strengths
There’s no doubt that Ireland’s batting is their prowess. They have got Paul Stirling and Andrew Balbirnie who can easily play long and effective innings. The recent rise of Harry Tector has been phenomenal as he can provide the impetus at the back end of the innings.
Weaknesses
Ireland has a very bad habit of not wrapping up the game. The absence of Craig Young will hurt a lot as he is someone who is good at picking early wickets. Ireland pacers are not good at the death overs. Due to this, the teams can easily score 50-60 runs in that phase which can prove to be decisive.
Fixtures
I7th October: Ireland vs Zimbabwe at Hobart at 13:30 IST
19th October: Ireland vs Scotland at Hobart at 09:30 IST
21st October: Ireland vs West Indies at Hobart at 09:30 IST
Chances
Ireland is placed in Group B which consists of Scotland, West Indies & Zimbabwe. They are going to play all their matches at Hobart. Only 3 T20Is have been played at the venue and the average batting score is 182 runs. The spectators at Hobart could be in for a run-fest.
Ireland’s biggest challenge would be West Indies as that match can be a do-or-die contest for both teams. Ireland would most probably qualify for the tournament not because of their batting or bowling but because of their change in mindset which is invaluable in T20I Cricket.
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