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Irish international Andrew Balbirnie looks ahead to the five match ODI series between fierce rivals Ireland and Afghanistan which gets under way this weekend at Stormont.
Irish international Andrew Balbirnie looks ahead to the five match ODI series between fierce rivals Ireland and Afghanistan which gets under way this weekend at Stormont.

He identifies the key battles which he feels will be pivotal in the outcome of what is likely to be a tightly contested series.
When looking at the Irish fixture list for the summer of 2016 it is easy to be drawn to the high profile attraction of Full Members Sri Lanka and Pakistan gracing our shores for four One-Day Internationals. But players and support staff alike will be well aware of the significance of this five-match series against our closest rivals in Belfast over the next ten days.

Stormont plays host to Ireland’s first ever five game series against an Afghanistan side that over the years have proved to the world that they have emerged as a force to be reckoned with in international cricket.

And following on from the disappointing results against Sri Lanka “The Boys in Green” will be fired up and ready to put in five huge performances against a side currently ahead of us in the rankings table. Stormont usually provides good batting tracks and looking at the depth in both squads it’s hard to look past high-scoring games providing rich entertainment throughout the series.

Since their emergence in 2009, Afghanistan have burst onto the international scene playing a brand of cricket that has been praised by many worldwide. You just have to look at their performances during the most recent T20 World Cup where they beat the eventual champions West Indies while also giving more than a scare to the ‘big boys’.

Last time the Afghans toured Ireland for an ODI Ireland came out on top in the crucial World Cup Qualifier in Clontarf, but this time it is a completely different scenario. The pressure for the teams outside of the test nations is huge – every time they take the field for ODI’s they are playing for more fixtures, more money, more exposure. And with two sides packed with experience going head-to-head with such huge incentives it really does promise to be a fascinating battle.

There will be no shortage of talent on display for the crowds that flock to Stormont, and I strongly recommend hard hats with the likes of Mohammad Shahzad and Paul Stirling looking to get after the respective bowling attacks from ball one.

In my opinion these are two of the hardest hitting batters out there – their records in limited overs cricket speak for themselves with both averaging in the mid 30s and with strike rates in the 90’s.

If either of them get into their stride, then fully expect them to be raising the bat for three figures, and with that, the team will bat around them and big totals will be made. Both will give chances such is the nature of their belligerent strokeplay – these must be taken or balls will go missing. Certainly two key men.

The Irish will miss Boyd Rankin whos pace and bounce would prove testing for the Afghans. However newly capped Barry McCarthy will have no problems stepping up and filling the shoes of the big Bready man after impressing with his hostile spells against Sri Lanka.

Sean Terry also comes in for his first taste of international cricket and while he may not start off the series on Sunday, he gives John Bracewell’s charges good depth and flexibility if he feels things need to change later on in the series.

One key area Ireland will want to get right next week is fielding – led by captain William Porterfield this side will look to dominate in the ring throughout the powerplay overs and run out chances will come up frequently – if, as I fully expect, the Irish are on their game then key runs will be saved while building pressure and also creating crucial wicket chances.

Another area that could prove key towards the business end of the series is spin, and in Rashid Khan Afghanistan have one of the most exciting young spinners in the world. His leg spin has caught many peoples attention and if fit I expect him to have big part to play, particularly as the pitches become more tired.

Andy McBrine steps up and becomes Ireland’s main spinner for the series. His smart and tactical bowling should prove vital particularly against an Afghanistan batting line up that like to dominate opposition bowlers from the off. His attacking intent has given a new dimension to the Irish batting order and I have no doubt that over the years he will climb higher and higher up the order.

For me this a very hard series to predict. One thing I can be sure of at Stormont is that it will rain. Over the years the home of cricket in Belfast has been plagued with wet weather so I expect at least one game to be washed out. So with that I expect Ireland to bounce back from the Sri Lanka set-back and win this one 3-1.

Key Battles

Tim Murtagh v Mohammad Shahzad

The Ireland opening bowler will have his work cut out to keep Shahzad quiet, particularly in the powerplay overs. But Murtagh knows his game like the back of his hand and his experience will prove vital in this battle up top.
Shahzad will look to attack from ball one and provide an explosive start for Afghanistan while I expect Murtagh and the Irish bowlers to build pressure on him and create that vital chance.

Ed Joyce v Dawlat Zadran

For me Ireland’s best batsmen against Afghanistan’s best bowler. In an ideal world Joyce won’t have to face him until the back end of the innings but if an early wicket falls this will be an intriguing battle and in expected overcast conditions Ed will have to be at his best to keep Zadran out with the new ball.
The highly-experienced Joyce brings a sense of calmness and undoubted class to the innings and if he has a good series then Ireland will have a good series.

Kevin O’Brien v Mohammad Nabi

The two all-rounders of the sides both with great experience having played white-ball cricket all over the world with different franchises. Two very experienced players as well as big-game performers, particularly in high profile situations.
Nabi is about as smart an off-spinner as there is – his overs in the middle of the innings will play a big factor in the outcome of the results. He sets good fields and varies his pace brilliantly. He is very handy in the middle order with the bat, hitting strong down the ground and similar to Joyce brings a calmness to what sometimes can be frenetic Afghanistan batting.
O’Brien is in great form with the bat this summer, both with Leicestershire and Ireland. His knock of 64 kept Ireland in the game against Sri Lanka earlier in the summer and can also provide vital spells in the middle of an innings having a happy knack of picking up vital wickets.

Andy McBrine v Rashid Khan

Two very different spinners, McBrine will look to build pressure while setting smart fields forcing the batsmen into making mistakes, while Khan will look to be aggressive with his leg-spin setting attacking fields from the off.
McBrine offers a huge amount with the bat and like said before I expect him to score vital runs from the lower-middle order for Ireland.
Early on in the week it may not prove to be that spinner friendly but later on in the week I expect these two guys to have a big say in the outcome of the games.

You can follow the five-match series live on www.cricketireland.ie as all games will be live streamed.

Andrew Balbirnie
Irish International Andrew Balbirnie
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