Simmons focused on crunch qualifier
| 22 May 2013 15:03 |
| Coach Phil Simmons has admitted this week's RSA Insurance one-day international series against Pakistan is not the main priority of a summer in which Ireland will bid to secure their place at a third consecutive World Cup. |
| Ireland host Pakistan in a two-match series in Dublin, which begins tomorrow, having never beaten a full-member nation in the Republic. |
| It is an unlikely statistic given Ireland's giant-killing at World Cups - which includes surprising Pakistan in Jamaica six years ago. |
| While Simmons concedes claiming a big scalp at home is long overdue, ensuring his side's place at the 2015 World Cup in Australia is his primary objective. |
| Ireland currently lead the World Cup qualification phase but face closest challengers Holland and Scotland in double headers later this summer to round out their campaign. |
| With the top two automatically securing a place Down Under there is little room for error and Simmons admits he would take wins in those games over success this week. |
| "I think we've got to recognise in a big summer the most important games are the four games we play against Scotland and Holland because that takes us to a World Cup," Simmons said. |
| "We've put that as a higher priority than this, but we want to win games like this. |
| "It is time to start winning games against full member team anywhere in the world. We haven't beaten a high-class full-member here at all. |
| "It is about time we start. |
| "We have to show how much we have improved since the last international team was here." |
