BAN vs IRE: Paul Stirling Leads Ireland in T20Is Against Bangladesh, Andy Balbirnie Rested

Ireland were beaten in the ODI series against Bangladesh. They lost the series 0-2 (*2nd ODI was eliminated). Ireland is scheduled to take on Bangladesh in a three-match T20I series starting March 27. Paul Stirling will lead in his absence Andrew Balbirnie, who is rested. Paul Stirling does not have any significant experience as captain of the team as he has led the team six times in the T20I format.

Paul Stirling has been a force to be reckoned with in both franchise and Irish cricket. All eyes would be on Harry Tector. He is believed to be the next big thing in world cricket as he has a wide range of shots. Ireland would like to make a statement that they are not finished yet as many questions are being raised about their team’s dynamics.

Such rotation also allows us to expand the talent pool – Ireland head coach Heinrich Malan

Ireland head coach Heinrich Malan held an interaction with the media and revealed the reason for Andrew Balbirnie’s absence from the T20I series.

“Andrew should take a break from the ODI series against Sri Lanka next month to focus on preparing for the upcoming Tests and the all-important World Cup Super League series in May. With the ODI series in Sri Lanka now being converted into a second Test match, he will be rested from this T20I series instead.” said Heinrich Malan.

“We indicated before the tour that there may be a rotation of players this year due to the expected amount of cricket we will be playing. I think it is an essential part of squad and player management that we give our top players enough time off for their physical and mental health. Such rotation also allows us to expand the talent pool by providing first-team opportunities to a larger group of players.” he added.

Ireland has a steep road ahead

Bangladesh would be booming with confidence after recently beating a star-studded England cricket team 3-0 in the T20I series. Under the leadership of Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha, the Bangladeshi Tigers looked like a formidable unit as they rediscovered their mettle.

The pitch in Chattogram would most likely be spin-friendly where the Irish batsmen would be tested again. Ireland’s batters should ensure they get a score above 140 when batting first as we have seen that they are quite difficult to chase. It would be interesting to see if Bangladesh continue to change the position of their batters.

Also Read: IPL 2023: ‘I have a special delivery planned for this IPL’ – Shivam Mavi sends a warning to opponents