Ireland has secured a spot among the ten teams that will be participating in the World Cup Qualifier 2023, set to commence on June 18th in Zimbabwe. The cricket governing body of Ireland has already revealed the chosen players for the Qualifier round. Ireland initially entered the World Cup Qualifier in 1994 and has taken part in the tournament on five occasions. They were also crowned champions in the 2009 World Cup Qualifier round. Having successfully qualified for the World Cup three times, Ireland made their debut in the event in 2007.
Ireland, along with Oman, Scotland, UAE, and Sri Lanka, is grouped in Group B. The team's journey in the Qualifier round will commence with a match against Oman at Bulawayo Athletic Club, Bulawayo on June 19, 2023. Subsequently, they will face Scotland in their second match on June 21, 2023, at the Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo. On June 25, 2023, Ireland will contest their third match against Sri Lanka, followed by their final game against UAE on June 27, 2023, at Bulawayo Athletic Club, Bulawayo.
Ireland Squad ICC World Cup Qualifiers 2023
- Andrew Balbirnie (captain)
- Lorcan Tucker (wicketkeeper)
- Mark Adair
- Curtis Campher
- Gareth Delany
- George Dockrell
- Graham Hume
- Andy McBrine
- Barry McCarthy
- PJ Moor
- Paul Stirling
- Harry Tector
- Ben White
- Craig Young
- Josh Little
Andrew Balbirnie will lead the Ireland squad, accompanied by Heinrich Malan as the head coach. Lorcan Tucker has been selected as the wicketkeeper. The team possesses a range of fast bowling options including Mark Adair, Josh Little, Craig Young, Barry McCarthy, Graham Hume, and Curtis Campher. However, considering the prevailing conditions, they have also decided to include Ben White in the squad to provide additional support in the bowling department.
During the 2007 Cricket World Cup, Ireland belonged to Group D alongside Pakistan, West Indies, and Zimbabwe. In the group stage, they achieved a victory over Pakistan by three wickets and had a tied match with Zimbabwe, which allowed them to secure a place in the Super 8 stage. In the Super 8 round, Ireland only managed to win one match against Bangladesh by a margin of 74 runs before being eliminated from the tournament.
In the 2011 World Cup, even though Ireland didn't move forward in the tournament, they achieved something special by beating England. Ireland won the match by 3 wickets, thanks to Kevin O'Brien's amazing performance. He scored the fastest century in World Cup history in just 50 balls. By surpassing England's total of 327 runs to win the match, Ireland also set a new record for the highest successful run chase in the World Cup.
Ireland successfully secured a spot in the 2015 Cricket World Cup, and in their inaugural match of the tournament, they emerged victorious against the West Indies by four wickets. They accomplished this feat by successfully pursuing a target of 304 runs with a substantial 25 balls to spare. In their subsequent match, they triumphed over the United Arab Emirates by a narrow margin of two wickets, with only four balls remaining to reach a target of 279 runs. It's impressive to note that out of the few times a team has successfully chased down 300 runs or more in a World Cup, Ireland has done it three times.
By June 2023, Ireland had been involved in 188 international One Day Internationals (ODIs), registering triumph in 75 contests while encountering defeat in 97 matches. In the year 2023, they have competed in 9 ODIs, winning 1 and losing 5 matches as of June. Currently, Ireland holds the 11th position in the ICC ODI team ranking and their best came in 2007 when they secured the 10th position.