Visit of West Indies brings lack of fixtures home to Andrew Balbirnie
Ireland's men's cricketers finally get to have a home series tomorrow as the West Indies rumble into town to play three one-day internationals in Clontarf and three T20 games at Bready, County Tyrone.
It has been 10 months since the last home match for Ireland, a one-off Test win over Zimbabwe at Stormont in July, and a year since the three-game series against Pakistan in Clontarf.
Outside of the three T20 matches against England at Malahide in September, Ireland's men's side's fixtures are thin on the ground.
A mixed-format home series against Afghanistan set for July was cancelled by Cricket Ireland due to financial constraints.
The proposed new European T20 league, involving franchise teams from Ireland, the Netherlands and Scotland, was also supposed to be played in July but probably won't happen this year.
There is now talk that Ireland will play a tri-nations series against those two countries as a fill-in, but nothing has been announced and Ireland's proposed trip to Pakistan in September may not happen now due to the increased political tensions in the region.
For 34-year-old Andy Balbirnie, still Ireland's Test captain, but no longer involved in the T20 squad, the upcoming fixtures against the West Indies, comes as a relief to the squad, which is captained by his friend Paul Stirling.
"We want to play as much cricket as we can," Balbirnie told RTÉ Sport. "You don't have to be a rocket scientist to work out, it's a pretty barren schedule"
"But these games are coming up now, so we've got to make the most of it and make sure that we're ready to go and all our prep is done. And once we get out of the field, we just go out and try to win games.
"I think like any team that you play at this level, you expect them (West Indies) to come with some high-quality players.
"There are a few names that are there from the last time we played them in Ireland in 2019, players like Shai Hope.
"John Campbell has just been brought into the squad and obviously Darren Sammy was a very experienced player himself and is now coach of the West Indies."
Balbirnie's former team-mate Kevin O'Brien, who is currently assistant head coach with Italy, has been drafted in by the visitors to give them what they hope will be an insight into how they can beat Ireland.
"I have no issue with it at all," insisted Balbirnie. "Kev is on the kind of ladder of his coaching career, and this is a big step for him.
"He's still working with Italy and trying to get Italy to a T20 World Cup. They've got qualifiers this summer coming up, which are important for them. And I think he knows Darren Sammy quite well.
"They played together a while back, so I think it made sense for all parties involved to have Kev on board. "It'll be interesting to see him in the opposite dugout, I hope it goes really well for him."
Does Balbirnie feel a sense of frustration at the lack of matches, especially at home?
"I'm currently not involved in the T20's, so my international summer kind of finishes next week. I'll have to find something to do for the summer. Maybe play a few games for my club Pembroke, which would be nice to get back to.
"But yeah, when I first came onto the scene as an Irish cricketer, there were quite a lot of fixtures in most of the formats. And as we're getting on and becoming more established as the team, there almost seems to be less.
"It's unfortunately just the way it is, and as players we don't have control over that, but there certainly is a bit of frustration. But I don't think it'll hinder our performance or our will to win
"There is quite a good young core of players who are getting to the kind of the peak of their career now and, having been there myself, when you're at that stage of your career, you want to show your skills and talent as often as possible against as many teams as possible.
"I'm certainly at the back end of my career and I still feel like I'm playing good cricket, and I want to be playing more.
"It's what we do day in, day out. We do a lot of stuff in the gym and a lot of stuff in the nets, but there comes a time where you just need to be playing and playing matches against high calibre of players.
"We just want more. We're not asking for, you know, loads and loads of fixtures. We're just asking for more regular fixtures to give the guys chances to showcase their ability."
Ireland's injury list has grown ahead of the opening game of the West Indies ODI series tomorrow (10.45 in Clontarf) with Craig Young and Curtis Campher both ruled out for the duration.
Young sustained a hamstring injury while playing in an Inter-Provincial Cup match for the Northwest Warriors against the Leinster Lightning in Oak Hill and Jordan Neill has been named as his replacement for the ODI series.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The 42
2 hours ago
- The 42
3 winners and 3 losers from Ireland's latest international window
The winners Ryan Manning Having been largely on the periphery of the team in the Stephen Kenny era, Manning has become an important squad member under Heimir Hallgrímsson. The 28-year-old has 17 caps, six have come in the Icelandic coach's 10 matches in charge, while only five of his appearances under Kenny were in competitive games. What helps the Galway native is his versatility. At club level in recent years, he has generally been deployed as left-back/left-wing-back. In his earlier days at Galway United, however, Manning often played in the attacking midfielder/number 10 role. Against Senegal, Manning played a hybrid of these two positions. He drifted centrally and became an attacking midfielder when Ireland had possession, whereas without the ball, he tucked in on the left wing as Ireland reverted from a 3-4-2-1 to a 4-4-2. The Southampton star impressed, setting up Kasey McAteer's goal with his cross before being replaced by Killian Phillips in the 67th minute. He didn't start the Luxembourg encounter, but ended up enjoying more game time than he did against Senegal. The former QPR player was needed at left-back as early as the 21st minute, replacing the injured Robbie Brady. He proceeded to produce a solid performance, proving he can be relied upon to cover more than one position. Kasey McAteer McAteer went into this camp with just four substitute appearances to his name for Ireland. The Leicester star impressed on his full debut against Senegal, scoring Ireland's goal with a well-taken finish and producing a player-of-the-match performance. The 23-year-old winger was rewarded with a second consecutive start against Luxembourg, and struggled to have the same impact as part of a lacklustre Irish attack before being replaced by Matt Doherty in the 76th minute. You suspect alternative options in attack, like Sammie Szmodics and Chiedozie Ogbene, are still probably ahead of McAteer in the pecking order, but as Hallgrímsson said of the latter, he has 'created a bit of a stir' after Friday's performance. Having looked very much like a peripheral squad member before this window, it is now not inconceivable that he could play a major role in the upcoming vital World Cup qualifiers, particularly if Ogbene has not fully recovered by then. The 28-year-old Ipswich winger has not played since rupturing his achilles tendon last October, but is reportedly targeting a comeback in time for Ireland's September fixtures. Max O'Leary Over six years on from his first call-up, O'Leary finally made his Ireland debut on Tuesday away to Luxembourg. Advertisement And he was one of the few players for the visitors to emerge from the dour 0-0 draw with his reputation enhanced. The 28-year-old made a couple of decent saves and did very little wrong over the 90 minutes. Naturally, Caoimhín Kelleher will remain Ireland's first-choice goalkeeper following his €21 million move to Brentford. But O'Leary, who played every minute of action for Bristol City in the Championship this season, is a fine alternative. The Bath-born stopper, who qualifies through a Kerry-born grandfather, proved he has the ability and temperament to step up if required. The losers Evan Ferguson Appropriately enough, a largely forgettable season for Evan Ferguson ended in disappointingly tame fashion. The Brighton striker struggled to have much impact, even when starting against a side 31 places below Ireland in the Fifa rankings. He did not fare much better against Senegal, although by the time the Meath native was introduced in the 58th minute of that game, the momentum had swung firmly in the visitors' favour, so it was a difficult situation to be thrust into. It's worth remembering that Ferguson is still only 20. The youngster showed what he is capable of in the last window, finishing clinically from a Finn Azaz pass to draw Ireland level in the home game with Bulgaria. Players his age invariably have spells of inconsistency, and his form was also significantly hampered by a serious injury he suffered. An ankle injury last year led to ligament surgery, ruling him out for six months. It meant he missed the early weeks of the 2024-25 season and was playing catch-up all year in terms of fitness. Having cut an isolated figure in Luxembourg, Ferguson can now at least put a disappointing campaign behind him and get some much-needed rest ahead of what is likely to be a big season for him. Sky Sports News have reported that Brighton recently put in a £34 million bid for Olympiacos centre-forward Charalampos Kostoulas. If that deal goes through, it will increase the uncertainty around the youngster's Seagulls future. But despite his stop-start season and failed West Ham loan, Ferguson is unlikely to be short of suitors if he is made available by Brighton, with David Moyes' Everton one of the clubs linked with his signature. Dominic Calvert-Lewin's contract expires this summer, so the Toffees could look to the Ireland star as a natural replacement for the England international. Josh Honohan Max O'Leary, Killian Phillips and John Patrick all made their Ireland debuts in this window, but Josh Honohan has been made to wait. The 24-year-old's name in the initial squad announcement drew the most publicity of anyone, due to it still being relatively rare for League of Ireland-based footballers to earn international recognition with the Boys in Green. Some of the shine was taken off a special week for the Carrigaline native owing to manager Stephen Bradley's comments in the build-up. The Hoops boss said Honohan was 'the worst I've seen him' in Rovers' recent 0-0 draw with Galway. Such stinging criticism delivered by a manager to one of his players is rare in football. Honohan diplomatically played down the controversy, admitting he didn't have his 'best game' during the match in question. Perhaps this lack of form was part of the reason why Hallgrímsson opted not to blood the 24-year-old in either of the two end-of-season friendlies. Even with Robbie Brady getting injured early against Luxembourg, the Ireland boss preferred to introduce Manning in the left-back position. Before his criticism, Bradley had repeatedly called on Honohan to get Ireland recognition. Brady, at 33, won't be around forever, and while the fact that the Shamrock Rovers star was called up in the first place is an impressive feat when you consider the full context, perhaps the manager feels he needs more experience around the squad and further time to adapt to the demands of international football. It would therefore be fair to say the former Iceland boss feels Honohan is not quite ready yet to be thrust in at this level, and he has more work to do before becoming an established and trusted team member. Liam Scales On the whole, Scales has enjoyed an encouraging season. The defender played 26 times in the Scottish Premiership for a Celtic side that won the title. Along with Adam Idah and Kelleher, he was also the only Irish player to appear in the Champions League group stages this season. And in total, he played 370 minutes in Europe's premier club competition, more than Idah (338) and Kelleher (360), although he was left on the bench for the Glasgow club's climactic clashes against Bayern Munich. So the former UCD man will perhaps be disappointed that he was limited to only an 85th-minute appearance against Senegal in this window. He looked like an automatic selection earlier in Hallgrímsson's reign, starting four of the Boys in Green's six Nations League group games. Yet the 26-year-old's stock appears to have fallen since a costly red card in the 5-0 defeat to England last November, with that Senegal cameo his only taste of international football in the subsequent period. But more than anything, Scales' absence is a reflection of Ireland's impressive depth at centre-back. Nathan Collins, Dara O'Shea and Jake O'Brien all had strong seasons in the Premier League and while the trio don't have Champions League experience, domestically they are playing at a higher level.
RTÉ News
2 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Heimir Hallgrimsson wants quick start to fuel World Cup dream
Heimir Hallgrimsson is targeting at least four points from the Republic of Ireland's opening World Cup qualifiers against Hungary and Armenia. The Icelander spent his 58th birthday watching his team secure a laboured 0-0 friendly draw in Luxembourg, which he later admitted was "boring" at times, in what was their final fixture before the competitive games start in September. A much-changed Ireland were far from at their best at the Stade de Luxembourg just four days after a creditable display in a 1-1 draw with Senegal, but Hallgrimsson knows the stakes will be raised significantly when the squad next meet up. Asked if they needed four points from the first two games, Hallgrimsson replied: "Yes. Four points would be good; six points would be better." He added: "I give myself that you would say we get a draw against Hungary and win in Armenia - probably it would be worse if it was the opposite. "Four points would be OK, a good start. Six is what we aim for." "It's the only sport in the world where a third division team can win against a first division team." Hallgrimsson will mark 12 months in his new job next month having presided over a modest improvement in Ireland's on-pitch fortunes - they have won four and drawn two of his 10 games to date, a return which had given him cause for optimism. Tuesday night's events came as something of a disappointment, as he admitted when asked where his team are compared to where he hoped they might be at this stage shortly after the final whistle in Luxembourg. He replied: "I would have been 100% confident two hours ago, but this is also football. "You can be a much better team and still lose a match. That's why everybody loves this game. It's because sometimes even with a good performance you can lose a game. That's why everybody loves it. "It's the only sport in the world where a third division team can win against a first division team. You can look at all other sports, it doesn't happen. "We didn't play well, we kept a clean sheet. If it had been a group stage, we would have had a point and OK, let's call that growth." Ireland did hit the woodwork twice through Nathan Collins and substitute Jack Taylor either side of half-time, but were indebted to debutant goalkeeper Max O'Leary for saves from Danel Sinani and Vincent Thill, and Hallgrimsson was particularly unimpressed with the opening 45 minutes. He said: "We were really disappointed with the first half. It was actually just boring, there was nothing happening in the first half. "We didn't play well, but we played away and didn't concede a goal, so even though we are not playing our best, if we can get points and maybe wins, that's a good sign."
Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Heimir Hallgrimsson: 'I'm not going to hang or execute anyone for that performance'
After some spurned the opportunity in Luxembourg of being on Ireland's ticket towards the Land of Opportunity, the manager deemed it a minor hiccup rather than reality check. 'I'm not going to hang or execute anyone for this performance,' stressed Heimir Hallgrimsson about a stalemate that eroded progress from wins over Bulgaria and drawing with a superior Senegal side last Friday. 'We're not too shy to say it but if we are going to qualify for the World Cup, we must do better than that.' An evening that began sluggishly was almost rescued at the death when a thunderous drive by substitute Jack Taylor rattled the underside of the crossbar and bounced out. Still, in the overall context of what the Icelander views as his imprint for a qualifying group containing Portugal, Armenia and a Hungarian side they welcome for the opener on September 6, this wasn't the note to sign off the summer on. 'Let's say we wanted the same performance as against Senegal,' Hallgrimsson outlined. 'There was a lot of energy in that game — plenty of quick actions, forward thinking and counter pressing. It was totally missing here. 'Whatever it is, we need to analyse us. Did we prepare them correctly for this game? Do we need to change? That's a negative, or disappointing. That we didn't continue with the same momentum we got in the earlier games.' Nathan Collins has a header on goal under pressure from Seid Korac of Luxembourg. Picture: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile Notwithstanding the mitigation of missing five regulars, the absence of building blocks in a first half he branded 'boring' concerned the manager so soon to the competitive action. 'We talked at half-time that it wasn't about tactics or formations,' he began. 'It was more about attitude. Are you willing to do the work that's necessary? The basics that are necessary in a football game? No matter who you play, no matter whether it's a competitive or a friendly game, you need to do the basics. 'You need to deliver all the work that's necessary. That was just missing; the basics. 'Credit to the players for changing in the second half. There was more momentum, power and energy yet we were not happy. 'It felt like steps had been taken. I think we took, maybe not a step backwards, but we didn't take the next step. 'It would have been nice to have a good performance. I don't mind if we would not have won but I would have liked a better performance.' His captain Nathan Collins concurred, albeit adding the asterix about the rigours of a long season. He'd played every Premier League minute for Brentford but didn't use it as an excuse. 'A lot of things weren't right,' he acknowledged. 'Beforehand, we said we needed to avoid that end-of-season friendly feel. We didn't want to be as passive, to get after them more but we weren't at that. 'I'm physically tired, but I'm more mentally tired. I doubt I'm the only one in that boat but I know this team has so much more to give.' From passive to massive characterises the stakes looming at the end of a three-month international hiatus. Hungary will have two components of the defending Premier League champions Liverpool when Milos Kerkez's €60m move from Bournemouth finalises this week. Ireland will face off against left-back Milos Kerkez and Dominic Szoboszlai next. File picture: Adam Davy/PA Wire His new clubmate Dominik Szoboszlai scored the Magyars' winner in their friendly in Azerbaijan to halt a slump of five defeats in six games. Hallgrimsson should have his full deck to pick from when that double-header, which concludes away to Armenia, comes around. 'These are clever boys so there's no need to shout,' the manager said about channelling his disappointment. 'Whatever I would shout now would probably be gone by the next time we meet up. 'I would have been 100% confident two hours before full-time but this is also football. 'You can be a much better team and still lose a match. 'I'm not going to take too much from this because we have had a steady growth and there are so many factors that could have produced a little bit lower quality performance than we did.' Within his broader scope, embracing the structural improvements over his 10 games at the helm since last September, he's reason to be optimistic. Ireland were out of the competitive running early in their last four campaigns, World Cup, Nations League and Euros under Stephen Kenny and the incumbent's Nations League tilt. They can't afford to be left chasing come September 10. 'People might say we can get a draw against Hungary and win in Armenia but probably it would be worse if it was the opposite,' he contended. 'Four points would be okay for a good start. Yet six is what we'll aim for.' Read More Nathan Collins happy to see Ireland carry momentum into World Cup qualifying
