Ireland’s veteran 34-year-old opener Paul Stirling finds himself preparing for the biggest battle of his life. He’ll be put to the test against the West Indies, in a trio of One Day Internationals (ODIs). The games are due to be played in Clontarf on May 21, 23 & 25. This series presents Ireland a great opportunity to flex their muscles. They will be high on confidence after a 2-1 ODI series victory against this month in June 2022, and a T20 World Cup triumph against them, down in Hobart last year.
Ireland’s cricket landscape is already dealing with a spate of injuries that have sidelined Mark Adair, Graham Hume and Fionn Hand. After the team was hit with a wave of injuries, they were able to act fast and strategically. To replace out-of-form players Craig Young and Curtis Campher, they called up Jordan Neill and Stephen Doheny. Stirling is upbeat on how Ireland is doing.
Stirling noted just how important this full series is for Ireland. He noted that it gives the team an opportunity to develop squad depth while facing stiff competition. He noted that West Indies will likely bring their strongest lineup, especially with their upcoming ODIs against England scheduled from May 29 to June 10.
“When they bookend a tour against us and England, they always bring their strongest side and that’s very pleasing,” Stirling said.
The opening batsman stood firm that it would be the performance of his team to stand their ground and fight it out in both innings of the 50-over games. He pointed out that the upcoming series against West Indies is not just another series. It’s a great challenge for the Irish squad.
“It’s not just a series against us, where teams can play a few new faces or slightly less strong,” he stated.
Stirling was keen to reiterate what a challenge West Indies had posed, especially as they get readied for their ODIs to come against England. He certainly won’t be accepting anything less than total focus from their burgeoning squad ahead of a colossal three-match series in Ireland.
“They’re playing England in five ODIs next week, so they’ve brought their full squad and that’s the big challenge,” he remarked.
Looking ahead, Stirling is looking for Ireland to hit the ground running against West Indies. He feels that this series is an opportunity to test their talent. It further provides them with a platform to generate momentum for their larger international competitions just down the road.
“We’ve got the West Indies squad that will face England so there will be nothing held back,” he added.
In personal reflections, Stirling acknowledged his passion for the game, stating that even during breaks, he finds himself drawn back to practice.
“I think I realized when I have a month off, I find myself going into the shed and picking up the cricket bat and I think that is a really good sign for me personally,” he shared.
His enthusiasm for the sport remains undiminished. As Stirling explained, one of the best things about bringing new faces into the folding is how it can help to refresh the team.
“You have to look at the positive side of it, new faces and fresh energy and see what’s underneath the first team itself and put some pressure on old faces like me,” he concluded.
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