Ireland will be watching next month's World Cup from home but interim captain Paul Stirling insists there is no lack of motivation for their series against neighbours England.
The Irish missed out on a place at the tournament after crashing out of this summer’s qualifier in Zimbabwe, where Sri Lanka and Netherlands emerged to take their place in the final 10.
For a side who have prided themselves on punching above their weight on the global stage that was a bitter setback, and one they cannot put right until an expanded event comes around in 2027.
But Stirling, who inherited the reins on a temporary basis from predecessor Andy Balbirnie following that disappointment, insists there is still plenty to play for in the three-match Metro Bank Series.
"It’s never too hard to pick yourself up and play for your country, everyone is really looking forward to it," he said.
"Any series we play against a top-tier side we should be looking at getting a scalp, that’s a realistic ambition – to come away and get a win and definitely to compete in all areas.
"The squad are really buzzing to get out there and show what they are capable of. We’re at a very different stage of our process, leading to the following World Cup, so it’s very early stages but we’re just looking forward to playing England on their own turf.
"There’s not too much pressure on now, but we certainly want to get in the right place at the right time."
The imminent arrival of ODI cricket’s biggest showpiece event has placed the format back into centre stage, perhaps for the first time since the previous competition in 2019.
In the four years since then, T20 has continued to grow into new areas and generate even bigger paydays, leading to growing questions about the status of the longer game.
But for Stirling, proud owner 154 caps and 14 hundreds in the format, there is only one answer.
"I really love 50-over cricket, my favourite format," he said.
"It’s been in the background the last couple of years – where is 50-over cricket going to go? But I think it’s class. You get the ebbs and flows right through the day.
"Ideally you’d like more teams at the World Cup but there is 14 in the next one and we really need to make sure we are one of them. That’s our ambition and that’s the goal over the next four years.
"We’re only at the start of that but as far as ODI cricket is concerned, long may it live."
Stirling, 32, has fond memories of the last time the sides met in an ODI - he scored 142 in a seven-wicket win for Ireland in Southampton in 2020 – a thrilling game that saw Ireland successfully chase 329 for victory.
"It does feel like a long time ago," he said. "Especially as it was under COVID circumstances. But I suppose there is that winning feeling from that day in Southampton for the players that were there.
"I know whenever we get over to England - coming and seeing what cricket is all about in one of the best countries for cricket in the world - it really excites our players. We know whoever plays [for England] they're going to be quality cricketers. I think they could probably replace any of their top 11 with another player and it would not be too dissimilar how they go about their business."
The matches will be played at three separate venues: at Headingley (Leeds) tomorrow, Trent Bridge (Nottingham) on Saturday, and the Seat Unique Stadium (Bristol) next Tuesday.
First-time England skipper Zak Crawley is thankful to have the vastly-experienced Joe Root by his side for the series opener at Headingley.
With England's World Cup defence just around the corner – they depart for India next week and begin the tournament on 5 October – Root is the only member of the first-choice squad taking on the Irish.
He asked to be added to the squad for Wednesday’s first ODI at his home ground, targeting one more innings to find the form that eluded him in the recent matches against New Zealand.
And the outing should prove mutually beneficial, with Root bringing 162 caps and a decade of experience to a squad that is conspicuously callow. The remaining 12 players have just 38 one-day appearances between them at international level, with four uncapped newcomers and three more who have turned out exactly once.
Crawley himself is barely any further along, with his three ODIs coming two summers ago as a result of Covid withdrawals, and he is more than happy to have the old, familiar face of his first Test captain on hand.
"I love spending time with Rooty. To have him in the side as a batsman and former captain is going to be tremendously useful for me and the team," he said.
"It’s great having him here. Especially so for me as captain, because I can lean on him for that kind of stuff. I played under him for a long time and stood next to him at slip when he was Test captain. It’s great to have him in the team and I will look to him. He’s a great cricket brain and experienced guy.
"No-one works harder than Joe, that’s why he’s the best. We all try to emulate him as much as we can. He’s a great person to learn from and a role model for us all. I hope he gets what he needs from it too."
What Root really needs, after scoring 39 scratchy runs in four innings against the Black Caps, is a chance to feel bat on ball and relocate his timing before jetting off to India. Crawley, for one, expects nothing less.
"If anyone has forgotten how good he is, that’s their fault," he said. "He’s just using it to find some rhythm – he’s a big rhythm player."
