Ireland captain Gaby Lewis and her team prepare to take on Zimbabwe in a multi-format series. The series, which begins this week, aims to enhance Ireland’s position in the world rankings, a goal that Lewis has emphasized as crucial for the team’s future.
Two teams of 14 players each will compete in three Twenty20 Internationals at Pembroke Cricket Club in Dublin, then two One-Day Internationals at Stormont. Ireland has always held the monkey grip over Zimbabwe, having previously beaten them on all seven occasions that they have faced off against each other. That history leaves the Irish squad with a healthy confidence heading into those games.
Ireland’s aspirations for qualifying for the ICC Women’s World Cup in India were thwarted earlier this year during the qualifying tournament in Pakistan. For now, Lewis’s eyes are set to the future, and specifically to qualifying for next year’s T20 World Cup. The T20 World Cup qualifying tournament is set to take place in the Netherlands at the end of August, making the matches against Zimbabwe critical preparation.
In a recent statement, Lewis said, “We want to improve our ranking, it’s something we have discussed.” This disappointment is representative of her determination to raise the profile of Ireland in the international cricketing community. She further added, “We want to get to a point where we don’t have to qualify for World Cups because you’ve already got that ranking and you’ve put those performances in in previous World Cups that allow you to not have to qualify.”
Under new Head Coach Lloyd Tennant, the team has a been a bit of a work in progress as they’ve been learning new systems and philosophies. Lewis said it was extremely helpful to have Tennant on board, saying, “It’s been good having Lloyd come in. The first several weeks we’ve been on it we’ve just been watching, learning, and adjusting to the new system. It’s been hard for him to come in and get an understanding of things, but he’s been great, he’s worked hard with the bowlers. It will take time.
Zimbabwe will be without the services of their captain Mary-Anne Musonda for this series, a big miss to their squad. Even with this favorable context, Lewis is sober and aware of what’s chiefly contingent upon their own actions. “You can’t just go into a tournament and expect to win, that’s just not going to happen. So, all we need to do is worry about ourselves and just keep winning. Regardless of the opponent, it’s always everything we have. Our aim is to play our greatest brand of cricket,” she said.
Ireland will face Pakistan in a wealth of cricketing action in another summer series next month. Following that, they’ll prepare for the T20 World Cup qualifying tournament. As Gaby Lewis prepares her team for these challenges, the focus remains on improving their world ranking and executing their game plan effectively.
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