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With the Ireland team preparing for two games against New Zealand on Saturday and Monday, CricketIreland.ie previews the matches and speaks to Andrew Balbirnie to find out how the training camp in Dubai has been going so far.
With the Ireland team preparing for two games against New Zealand A on Saturday and Monday, CricketIreland.ie previews the matches and speaks to Andrew Balbirnie to find out how the training camp in Dubai has been going so far.
“Tour is going very well so far, the facilities out here are top class and everyone is training hard and getting the best out of each other.”

“We’ve been focusing a lot on our individual skill set while also a maintaining our fitness. Also been important to work on things that may have been exposed on the recent acclimatisation tour of Australia/New Zealand.”

The main focus of the training camp is preparation for the ICC Cricket World Cup in February and March, but the two matches against New Zealand are a big part of that and the whole squad will be focused and looking to perform in the two matches.

“We’re hoping to put in place what we have worked on the last few days while obviously looking for two strong performances that will give us confidence going forward.”

The first match takes place on Saturday, starting at 10am local time (6am Irish time), with the second match at the same time on Monday 1st December.

New Zealand A head into the games with a very strong squad, although they lost arguably the two biggest names in that squad after Jesse Ryder dropped out for personal reasons and Daniel Vettori was called up to the New Zealand test squad.

Kyle Mills will captain the experienced Kiwi’s in both matches against Ireland, with wicket keeper Derek de Boorder (Otago) the only player not to have ODI experience. Whilst New Zealand announced an initial squad of 13, senior players Luke Ronchi and Doug Bracewell are both likely to be involved after being released from the test side currently playing Pakistan in Sharjah.

Although the game on Saturday will be Ireland’s first match of the tour, New Zealand have already had comfortable victories over UAE and Afghanistan earlier in the week, winning by 78 and 105 runs respectively.

Those results highlight the strength of opponent Ireland will be facing and increases the relevance of the matches. When away at training camps and on acclimatisation tours before major events in such different conditions to what players are used to, being challenged in tough conditions is incredibly important, and Balbo highlighted that when asked what he felt about the New Zealand matches and being on the current tour to the UAE.

“It’s vital for players like myself looking to impress before the World Cup while also testing ourselves on pitches that won’t be as familiar as normal. Confidence is a big thing and hopefully all of us will go into the New Year high in confidence ready for task ahead.”

Being away together also helps the squad off the field as well, especially with limited opportunities for everyone to be together during the summer due to commitments playing in the UK. Many of the teams heading to the World Cup in three months’ time will have had more opportunity to be together as a group over the summer, so the squad have also spent some time bonding whilst away.

“Ten of us had a cinema date in the Emirates Mall cinema watching Dumb And Dumber To. Can’t wait for the third instalment to come out starring Max and Thommo”

We’re not entirely sure what Max and Thommo have been up to earn a place in the third Dumb and Dumber movie, but Thommo can’t have helped himself when it was his turn to cook earlier this week.

The venue for Saturday’s match, the Cricket Academy Ground in Dubai, uses imported Australian soil in its pitches, meaning it is perfect preparation for the Ireland squad, who will play four World Cup group matches in Australia.

Ireland Squad:
William Porterfield (Warwickshire), Andrew Balbirnie (Middlesex), Peter Chase (Malahide/Durham), Alex Cusack (Clontarf), George Dockrell (Somerset), John Mooney (North County), Andrew McBrine (Donemana), Graeme McCarter (Gloucestershire), Kevin O’Brien (Railway Union), Niall O’Brien (Leicestershire), Andrew Poynter (Clontarf), Max Sorensen (The Hills), Paul Stirling (Middlesex), Stuart Thompson (Eglinton), Gary Wilson (Surrey), Craig Young (Bready)

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