The Ireland Men’s cricket squad, consisting of 15 players, embarked on their journey to Zimbabwe on June 9 with a singular focus—to secure qualification for the upcoming ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. The Qualifier event, scheduled to take place from June 18 to July 9 in Zimbabwe, will witness intense competition among 10 teams vying for the two available spots in the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.
Speaking ahead of their departure, leg-spinner Ben White expressed the team’s excitement about playing against some of the world’s best teams, including Sri Lanka and West Indies. He expressed optimism about Ireland’s chances of achieving World Cup qualification and ultimately representing their nation in India later this year. Reflecting on their previous visit to Zimbabwe during the summer, White anticipated different playing conditions, with less sunshine but a dry pitch. Despite the demanding schedule, the players looked forward to some leisure time, possibly engaging in Xbox gaming and even going on a safari or two, although their primary focus remained on the tournament.
White revealed that he would be sharing a room with his Munster Reds teammate, Gareth Delany, during the tour. Delany, too, emphasized the team’s primary goal of qualifying for the World Cup. He acknowledged the competitive nature of the tournament and drew confidence from Ireland’s performance in the World Cup Super League, where they narrowly missed out on victory in several matches. Delany acknowledged the roller-coaster nature of 50-over cricket, noting its excitement and unpredictability. As a squad member, he emphasized the importance of being prepared and ready to contribute whenever the opportunity arises.
The Ireland squad, led by captain Andrew Balbirnie, comprises a talented group of players representing various clubs across the country. The coaching and support staff include head coach Heinrich Malan, batting and wicketkeeping coach Gary Wilson, fast bowling coach Ryan Eagleson, and coach consultant Cobus Pienaar. Pienaar, a former South African first-class cricketer turned coach, joins the team as a consultant coach to support their preparations for the tournament.
The qualifier event will feature two groups of five teams each. Ireland is placed in Group B, alongside Sri Lanka, Scotland, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates. Each team will play all the others in their group once, with the top three teams from each group advancing to the Super Six stage. In the Super Six, teams will face the sides they did not encounter in the group stage. Points earned in the group stage will carry forward to the Super Six stage, except for those gained against teams that do not progress to the next stage. The top two teams after the Super Six stage will compete in the final and secure their place in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.
For the first time in this tournament, the Decision Review System (DRS) will be utilized for all matches from the Super Six stage onward, adding an additional layer of fairness and accuracy to the proceedings.
The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier represents the culmination of four years of intense competition, bringing together the bottom five teams from the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League, three automatic qualifiers from the ICC Men’s CWC League 2, and two teams that earned entry through the ICC Men’s CWC Qualifier Play-off.
Prior to the start of the qualifier, Ireland will engage in warm-up matches against the USA on June 13 and the Netherlands on June 15. Following that, their group stage matches commence on June 19 against Oman, followed by encounters with Scotland, Sri Lanka, and the United Arab Emirates.
