County players available to boost Ireland’s Twenty20 vision
William Porterfied (Gloucestershire), Eoin Morgan (Middlesex) and Niall O’Brien (Northamptonshire) will all feature, although the last two will be released back to their counties for the European ties against Italy, Denmark and Norway, all of which the Irish will be expected to win at a canter.
“It is always nice to have your senior players,” said Irish coach Phil Simmons who was without the English-based names for Ireland’s Friends Provident fixtures. “It is good that they are committed to come back and play the ODI. It’s especially good to have the full team together for the Twenty20 a couple of days after.”
Ireland begin their European assault against Norway at Milverton on Friday and their cross-channel stars all return to the fold in good form.
“So far they have been doing well. Niall has started recently and Morgan is continuing his form with three hundreds in the last three weeks. He is in good nick.” O’Brien’s brother Kevin may well be joining his three compatriots in England after it emerged that he is due to return across the Irish Sea after the international season. He has been in regular contact with Northamptonshire as well as Derbyshire.
Ireland’s last game with Scotland at Clontarf’s Castle Avenue on July 31 is likely to decide whether the hosts can retain the European title they claimed for a second time in 2006 but the Twenty20 fixtures are the team’s most important this summer.
Ireland compete in Group A of the qualifiers alongside Scotland and Bermuda, while Group B will consist of Canada, Kenya and the Netherlands. Two teams will definitely qualify for the World Cup next year in England.
And if as expected Zimbabwe confirm their withdrawal from the competition, a third place would be up for grabs. However, Cricket Ireland chief executive Warren Deutrom believes that will not be cleared up by the time the tournament takes place.
“We’re still in a situation where the third and fourth positions are being put in place, assuming that Zimbabwe are going to voluntarily withdraw. We know nothing more at this stage.
“We are hoping that there will be a third place play-off. It will provide not just an added place to the Associate nations but to the event itself which for us, as hosts as well as participants, is a great situation.”
The 20-over format is still in its infancy but the Indian Premier League and its mooted cousin in England have shown the appetite for the game globally and Simmons believes Ireland can be a real player under the new structure.
“Twenty20 is different. We showed in the World Cup that there is always a chance in one-day cricket and there is even more of a chance in Twenty20 cricket because the disciplines are condensed. In 50-over cricket the big sides can still come back at you later down (the order) even if you get three or four quick wickets. On the 20-over stage, and with a full team, we will always have a chance of beating the people at the top.”
IRELAND ODI SQUAD: W Porterfield (Gloucestershire, captain), A Botha (North County), P Connell (North Down), A Cusack (Clontarf), P Eaglestone (Strabane), T Fourie (Railway Union), G Kidd (Waringstown), E Morgan (Middlesex), K O’Brien (Railway Union), N O’Brien (Northamptonshire), P Stirling (Cliftonville), R Strydom (North County), A White (Instonians), K McCallan, (Waringstown). *G Wilson (Surrey) and A Poynter (Clontarf) replace N O’Brien and E Morgan for the games against Italy, Denmark and Norway.
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