In a thrilling but disappointing climax to their T20 World Cup journey, Ireland succumbed to a three-wicket defeat at the hands of Pakistan in Lauderhill, Florida. Both teams had suffered disappointing campaigns in the competition and had already exited the tournament, which left the match on Sunday without much consequence. However, this didn’t diminish the intensity of the game, where both sides struggled in batting, but made a spectacular display in bowling.
Invited to bat first at the pitch, Ireland’s performance fell short of expectations, leading to criticisms implying their mindsets were already on their way home. Pakistan’s aggressive start saw them taking four wickets within the first three overs for a measly 16 runs, putting the Irish team on the backfoot from the onset. Despite this, Ireland’s total of 106 was surprisingly low and added to this disappointing campaign.
However, Ireland managed to regain some integrity with their bowling, especially with Barry McCarthy’s maiden spell of a double wicket, backed by brilliant catches from Mark Adair, Lorcan Tucker and George Dockrell. Pakistan, during their chase, lost four wickets for a mere 10 runs in a three-over stretch, showing Ireland’s commendable resistance. Babar Azam, the Pakistani skipper, remained firm and wrapped up the game comfortably despite the sudden onslaught on the other end.
The Irish batting, which was considered their primary strength before the tournament, has been significantly underwhelming throughout the last two weeks. The team only managed scores of 96, 125, and 106 in their three non-weather-affected matches in the US. Although conditions with a tricky pitch in New York and a formidable Pakistan bowling line-up played their part, the reality remains that Ireland’s batting line-up has far from lived up to expectations.
Sunday’s match at the Broward County Stadium was dominated from beginning to end by Shaheen Shah Afridi, a towering left-armed bowler. On a good day, he has the ability to utterly dismantle opposing batting line-ups. Following a mixed performance in Clontarf last month when these teams faced off, this time it was Ireland who found themselves on the receiving end of his exceptional bowling.
Andrew Balbirnie was dismissed with Afridi’s third delivery of the match, a brilliant ball that slipped through the gate. In the same inning, Lorcan Tucker was deceived by a ball that moved in the opposite direction. Marvellous play indeed.
Mohammad Amir’s extra bounce caught the edge of Paul Stirling’s bat, and Afridi sent Harry Tector back to the pavilion LBW with another in a chain of unplayable yorkers. Tector erred in not reviewing the out decision as the ball had pitched outside leg. Earlier, he had edged a delivery that was adjudged not out, so perhaps justice was done.
After the end of the powerplay, Ireland slumped to five down for just 32 runs. Even a brief firework of 31 runs in 19 balls from Gareth Delany, which included three amazing sixes, couldn’t reverse their fortunes.
One might assert that Pakistan’s middle-order batting, heavily criticised for not providing enough runs during this World Cup, threatened to fail again. McCarthy and Curtis Campher caused a real stir when they managed to extract pace from the pitch, leading to an exciting climax. However, Ireland’s inadequate total was their downfall, further compounded by Josh Little’s unfortunate leg injury resulting in a depleted bowling lineup.
With the disappointing World Cup campaign reaching its conclusion, analysis will certainly identify factors that both condemn and excuse the Irish team’s performances. The harsh reality of the results will cast a shadow over Ireland’s quiet summer. Only one additional men’s game remains for the home fans this season – a Test against Zimbabwe at the end of July – with the domestic interprovincial matches not ready to recommence until August. The Irish women’s team has an even longer hiatus, not slated to return to the pitch until August, a pause of more than two months since their previous game.
The primary reason behind the disappointment of the men is the called-off visit to Australia due to monetary constraints. Interestingly, Scotland, despite having an inferior global ranking and budget plan than Ireland, publicised its plan to accommodate the World Champion of the 50-over game in September. Scotland has also managed to secure sponsorship for a local franchise contest, which Ireland has desired since 2019. In comparison to Ireland, Scotland displayed a superior performance in the recent World Cup, nearly clinching victories over both England and Australia.
The match against England managed to scrape through the Super Eights due to a win partly driven by climate conditions over Namibia. Although their aspiration for a broader recognition in the U.S. ended in disappointment, the Irish team is still in a fairly robust condition. However, facing a glaring gap in cricket presence without notable World Cup success, there is potential that these problems may dictate the sport’s future.
In current conditions, Irish cricket finds itself in an unusual situation – not catastrophic, nor particularly joyous.