Latest delay should suit Irish, insists Balbirnie
IRELAND’S three-match World Cup Super League series against Afghanistan will now begin on Thursday, January 21, three days later than originally scheduled, but will still be played in Abu Dhabi.
Afghanistan, as the host nation, had the choice of venue for the series and when there was a delay in their visas for the UAE coming through, they were planning to take the series to Oman.
However, the visas arrived on Tuesday and to allow them to stay in Abu Dhabi, where Ireland begin a four-match series against the UAE tomorrow morning (5.30am GMT), Cricket Ireland have agreed to the Afghans’ request to put back the series.
The second and third games will now be played on January 24 and 26.
It appears to suit all parties because, at a press conference on Zoom yesterday before confirmation of the delay, Ireland captain Andrew Balbirnie said he “wouldn’t mind” the WCSL series being pushed back.
“We have four games coming thick and fast (against the UAE) with only a day in between, which will be particularly tough on the bowlers who haven’t played a lot recently, so an extra couple of days’ rest might be good, but for now we are just focused on the four games against the UAE,” he said.
And Balbirnie has backed Paul Stirling to return to form against the hosts after a disappointing time at the Lanka (T20) Premier League.
Stirling has been the only player in the Ireland squad involved in competitive cricket since September but, after scoring just three runs in three innings for the Dambulla Viikings last month, he lost his place for the final stages.
But, according to Balbirnie, it doesn’t seem to have affected his vice-captain.
“Paul’s hitting the ball really well in the nets, he’s obviously our best batsman and when he’s firing we tend to go pretty well. But I’m happy with how he’s going, so it’s all good,” he said.
Stirling’s last innings for Ireland was his sensational 142 against England at Southampton, when he shared a record second-wicket stand of 214 with Balbirnie to maintain his record of hitting an ODI century every year since 2017.
Ireland have won all six ODIS against the UAE — the last by 226 runs — but with such unusual preparation and playing against a host country, Balbirnie accepts it could be a difficult opening assignment tomorrow.
“The UAE are a dangerous team, they beat us in this stadium (in Abu Dhabi) in the T20 qualifiers last year so we want to put that right and put in good performances,” said the skipper. “But we have come out here to win seven games and have to hit the ground running on Friday.
“We don’t get four-match series often and there are a lot of inexperienced boys in the squad, but seven games in less than three weeks in tough conditions is going to benefit them. We didn’t play seven ODIS in the whole of last year.”
The t h r e e - mat c h series against England last summer was the first time since September 2014 that William Porterfield had been missing from an Ireland ODI line-up — a sequence of 70 matches — and this is the first overseas ODI he has missed since 2010.
And, undoubtedly, he will be missed — and not just because he has scored two centuries and a 92 against the UAE.
His presence around t he group in Southampton was invaluable, but the selectors have made the decision to trust the future in youth, with Harry Tector — Porterfield’s replacement at No.4 — Gareth Delany and Curtis Campher given the chance to make their mark in 2021.
With Boyd Rankin and Gary Wilson also left at home — although the latter opted out to be at the birth of his second child, due early next week — 21-year-old
Josh Little will be looking to add to his six ODIS, and Lorcan Tucker, who replaced Wilson behind the stumps for the Zimbabwe series in 2019, will have seven more games to nail down his place.
“I’ll be looking for the youngsters to back themselves out in the park, which is easier said than done,” said Balbirnie. “The conditions are, of course, different to back home, but there is that competitiveness from those guys back home who can still offer something to the squad.
“It’s exciting what lies ahead but us senior players, like Paul (Stirling) and Kevin (O’brien) and myself, have to put performances in as well. The guys not here have done so much for the game, giving us the opportunity to play international cricket regularly. We must push on.”