What and Where?
The T20 World Cup, the global showpiece for cricket’s shortest format, runs in Australia from October 16th to November 13th. Ireland start their tournament with three games in Hobart. If they do well, they move elsewhere in the country depending on where they finish in their group.
This sounds familiar ...
That’s because it is. The previous iteration of the tournament happened just last year in the UAE. The time frame between T20 World Cups has never been regimented, unlike other tournaments and other sports, but Covid made what was already a fairly random system even more complicated. They’ve made an attempt to regularise it all, with the next version of this tournament coming in 2024. That said, there will be a 50-over World Cup next year in India.
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How does it work?
Ireland didn’t do particularly well at the last tournament and are ranked down the lower end of the qualified nations, so they have to play a preliminary group to make another group stage alongside the big boys. There are four teams in Ireland’s first group: West Indies, Zimbabwe, Scotland and of course Ireland.
Each team plays each other once, and the top two at the end of the group move on, the others go home after just a week. Ireland fell into the latter trap last year after a shock defeat to Namibia.
Can I watch?
All games are broadcast on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland.
How are Ireland shaping up?
Reasonably well, but it’s tricky to say. They didn’t win a single game all summer until August, granted they were playing excellent teams in India, South Africa and New Zealand. A series win at home to Afghanistan — a side that has had Ireland’s number in recent years — is cause for optimism, though they’ve only played two games since August. One was against a club side in Sydney, the other an unofficial warm-up on Tuesday against Namibia, which Ireland lost.
They may be out in Australia, but Ireland brought the weather from home with them. Three other warm-up games have been cancelled due to rain, while a lot of training has had to take place indoors where conditions don’t particularly replicate what is found on match day.
Will they get through?
Again, your guess is as good as mine. West Indies are a traditional powerhouse but don’t have as good a side as in previous tournaments. Their preparation was disrupted when one of their most destructive players, Shimron Hetmyer, was dropped from the squad after missing his flight to Australia.
Zimbabwe lost to Ireland last time the two played a series in 2021, but a new coach seems to have turned around their fortunes. Scotland had an excellent tournament last year but haven’t played the same quality of opposition Ireland have since then. That said, a lot of their players get to play in the English domestic system which is a better quality than what is found on these shores.
Ireland will back themselves to get through and will be very disappointed should they not progress. Should we dare to dream, if Ireland come second in the group, that would ensure, in the next stage, a tie with England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, host of the recent AFL Grand Final.
Fixtures:
October 17th: Ireland vs Zimbabwe, Bellerive Oval, Hobart, 9am start Irish time
October 19th: Ireland vs Scotland, Bellerive Oval, Hobart, 5am start Irish time
October 21st: Ireland vs West Indies, Bellerive Oval, Hobart, 5am start Irish time
