Ireland’s cricket coach, Heinrich Malan, says they are in for a real dogfight. His squad are indeed preparing to face England in a three-match T20 series. Those matches will be played at Malahide, making for another historic occasion. It promises to be an exciting competitive series between two close rivals, and it will be the first time Ireland has hosted England for T20s. The first game takes place on Wednesday, 17 September, with more matches planned for Friday and Sunday.
Even allowing for the fact England will field a heavily understrength squad, that makes for difficult opposition, something Malan is realistic enough to accept. Yet even with the absence of those key players in England’s lineup, it does not reduce the test they will present. He stressed the experience in their squad and the youthful talent that has shown its worth during The Hundred. He reiterated the point to them that they must do their homework and come prepared, for it’s going to be a good side.
Ireland will be without three of their best bowlers in Mark Adair, Fionn Hand and Josh Little. That combination of factors creates a lot of opportunity for others to step in and really make an impact. Malan noted, “It’s never ideal when you’re missing some of your quality players, but it certainly opens up an opportunity to build a bit of squad depth and ensure that the players who come in get a feel for the experience of international cricket.”
Among those taking a bow for the first time is Ross Adair, as he prepares to make his debut against England. Adair enjoyed a superb summer, smashing his maiden century against South Africa and playing a key hand with 48 against the West Indies. Malan was particularly impressed with Adair’s ability to counter spin bowlers and praised his confidence. On top of this, he is hoping Adair’s powerful hitting can have a transformative effect on the team’s strike rate and that he can provide the acceleration required to cash in on the excellent starts provided by the top-order batsmen.
21-year-old Jacob Bethell will become the youngest player ever to captain an England team in an official international fixture. Jordan Cox is getting his call-up from an impressive showing in The Hundred.
For Malan, the series presents an exciting opportunity for Ireland to capitalise on an impressive showing after their last meetings against England. The two teams have met twice in T20 formats before, with Ireland securing a memorable victory by five runs during the T20 World Cup in Melbourne in 2022.
With the tough South African weather, Heinrich Malan is optimistic that they can put on three really competitive games to England. And hopefully we can get three good games of cricket against England and put our best foot forward.”
Please welcome Ross Adair for his T4America debut! At the same time, wicketkeeper Ben Calitz makes his debut in the senior Ireland squad. Malan credited the value of high-stakes competition among the squad. He continued, “Healthy competition for locations has to be one of the great success stories we’ve been working on. We consider it a positive, not a hardship.”
Both teams are very excited to be heading into this much anticipated series. In each game, mark the thrilling and changing face of international cricket. The fixtures offer Ireland a chance to face a renowned team and to demonstrate their growth and potential on home ground.
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