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Eight Associate countries are in the UAE to compete in the inaugural Desert T20 Challenge. This tournament is a welcome addition to the fixture calendar for these teams during the winter period
The first match in Group A will see Ireland face tournament favourites, Afghanistan. The last time these two teams met was in the controversial 2-2- drawn ODI Series hosted by Ireland back in July 2016 and it’s expected to be a closely fought contest. The sides face tough competition following this match when they encounter hosts UAE, as well as the known package of Namibia in Group A, so both sides will be keen to get their campaign off to a good start.

This game may give us some insight into how the upcoming ODI Series will play out, when Ireland play Afghanistan in 3 T20Is and 5 ODIs, as well as their Intercontinental Cup contest, in India this March.

Ireland

The Irish side struggled in 2016, after failing to progress through their ICC World T20 Qualifying group in March. They lost the ODI Series 2-0 to Sri Lanka and 1-0 to Pakistan, while they lost the T20 series to Hong Kong 1-0. On the positive side, they did share the spoils in that hotly contested ODI series against Afghanistan 2-2. As well as this, Ireland did consolidate their place at the top of the Intercontinental Cup table, with a 70 run win against Hong Kong in Stormont in September. The success in this format keeps Ireland on track as they to strive towards Test match status by 2019.

There are some fresh faces in this squad for the Desert T20 Challenge. With the raw pace of 17 year old Josh Little and the leg spin coming from Jacob Mulder, there are exciting young bowlers coming through the ranks, after both made their debuts in the Hong Kong T20 Series in Bready. As well as this Greg Thompson, who has made himself into a T20 specialist batsman, will prove to be a useful addition to this Irish team, after making a return to the Irish colours in the Hong Kong Series after an eight-year absence. Boyd Rankin also returns for the tour after his absence with a broken leg.

Key Player – Paul Stirling

At 26 years old, Stirling now has a wealth of experience opening the batting for Ireland, with 71 ODIs and 37 T20Is to his name. He is now one of the more experienced players in the side, and this will be needed against a strong Afghanistan attack. It will be hoped that he can put in the same performances in the UAE as he did when Ireland won the ICC T20 World Cup Qualifying tournament there in 2013, with three 50s throughout the series, including a match winning 76(43) in the final against Afghanistan. It will be great if we would see him return to this form in the Desert T20 Challenge.

Afghanistan

They may well be considered the favourites for the tournament, with them being the highest ranked side in the competition (9th), as well as their impressive performances in 2016. They had a successful ICC World T20 tournament, beating the eventual champions West Indies, as well as having wins over Zimbabwe, Hong Kong and Scotland. However, they did not make it into the Group Stages of the Asia Cup, where they were surprisingly beaten by the UAE by 16 runs. Afghanistan have three bowlers that are in the top 20 in the world, which will prove a stern test to Ireland on more favourable wickets to the Afghan side. This includes the teenager Rashid Khan, who is 5th in the T20 rankings before this competition. He broke onto the world stage at the earlier this year by picking up 16 wickets in the ICC World T20 in India. His deceptive pace and spin variations will be difficult to play against in these conditions.

Key Player- Mohammed Shazad

Another powerful batsman with many unorthodox shots, Shazad may well be the difference between the sides. He doesn’t have a problem taking on the responsibility for his team in T20 cricket. Opening the innings for Afghanistan in this format, he averages 30.20 at a strike rate of 137.93. If he gets in away way a decent start, he might take the game away from Ireland.

Match Information

Date: Jan 14, 2017
Time: (19:00 local | 15:00 GMT)

Ireland Squad:

William Porterfield(c), Josh Little, George Dockrell, Jacob Mulder, Andy McBrine, Kevin O’Brien, Barry McCarthy, Stuart Poynter, Boyd Rankin, , Paul Stirling, Greg Thompson, Lorcan Tucker, Gary Wilson, Craig Young.

Afghanistan Squad:

Asghar Stanikzai(c), Amir Hamza, Dawlat Zadran, Fareed Ahmad, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Mohammad Nabi, Mohammad Shahzad, Najeeb Tarakai, Najibullah Zadran, Naveen-ul-Haq, Rashid Khan, Samiullah Shenwari.


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