New York, June 6: Ireland will bank on their experienced batters Andy Balbirnie, Paul Stirling and Harry Tector to recover from the pummeling given by India and get their T20 World Cup campaign back on track when they face a dangerous Canada here on Friday.
Ireland went down by eight wickets against India on Wednesday, while Canada will be eager to recover after a seven-wicket loss to co-hosts USA.
Playing in their eighth T20 World Cup, Ireland have often struggled to make an impression in the event despite several of their key players playing in English county. In fact, they have made it to the ‘Super 8’ only once in 2009.
Balbirnie and captain Stirling, who have a combined experience of more than 250 T20Is, were unable to give the side a decent start on a difficult pitch at the Nassau Country Stadium, even as rival skipper Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant showed the way with their batting master-class while guiding India to a huge win.
Tector, a veteran of 77 T20Is, too failed to kick on as Ireland were bowled out for a sub-100 total by the disciplined Indian bowlers, and they require an urgent turnaround.
Ireland will be playing their second match at this venue inside two days and they will be keen to execute the learnings from that.
World Cup newcomers Canada, on the other hand, too are coming off a big defeat against the United States in a high-scoring Group A match in Dallas.
Canada, can, however derive strength from their T20 World Cup Qualifier match against Ireland in 2019. In that match, the Maple Leafers inflicted a crushing 10-wicket defeat on the Irishmen.
In skipper Navneet Dhaliwal, Canada have a veteran top-order batter who was a part of that 2019 victory, and a lot will be riding on him. Canada will also take heart from the defeat against the USA because they had posted an imposing 194 against them and would look for an encore.Match Starts at 8 pm.
Scotland vs Namibia
Bridgetown (Barbados): Namibia were superb in the ‘Super Over’ win over Oman in their T20 World Cup opener and that trial by fire would have given them the confidence to take on Scotland, who will be playing their second game here after their opener against England was rained off.
The Scots did show their capabilities against the defending T20 World Cup champions, but rain had the last laugh and both teams were forced to share points.
While Namibia would rely heavily on veterans Gerhard Erasmus, the skipper, and all-rounder David Wiese, who have been at the forefront of the country’s cricketing charge.
They are carrying the experience from the two previous T20 World Cups. Additionally, Namibia also have won their last three T20Is against Scotland, something that will give them a positive frame of mind.Match starts at 12:30 am (Friday).
As the T20 World Cup heats up, the stakes are higher than ever for both Ireland and Canada.
The Irish contingent, led by the seasoned Andy Balbirnie and Paul Stirling, must summon every ounce of their experience to overcome the formidable challenge posed by Canada.
Their recent defeat against India is a stark reminder of the unpredictability and intensity of T20 cricket.
Yet, this is a team with resilience embedded in its DNA, having navigated the ebbs and flows of international cricket for years.
The importance of a strong start cannot be overstated, and the onus will be on Balbirnie, Stirling, and Tector to lay a solid foundation.
On the other side, Canada enters the fray with the buoyancy of their past triumph over Ireland and the hunger to prove their mettle on the global stage.
Navneet Dhaliwal, a linchpin of their batting lineup, is more than capable of steering his team towards a decisive victory. (PTI)