Graham Ford relies on experience for Cricket World Cup qualifiers

New Ireland coach Graham Ford will rely on experience when the team bids to land a place in what would be a fourth straight Cricket World Cup, this time via the ICC qualifiers in Zimbabwe in March.

The South African yesterday named a 15-man squad with 1,925 caps between them. Eight have played more than 100 times for their country but they face a tough task in making the 2019 tournament proper in England and Wales which has been controversially slimmed down to ten sides.

Two groups of five teams will contest for the right to make next year’s event and Ireland have been paired with the West Indies (who will be their greatest threat), the Netherlands, Papua New Guinea and the winners of the World Cricket League Division 2.