It's a World Cup year for the Ireland women’s cricket team, and they are looking to hit the ground running with an eight-match schedule set to kick-off in Zimbabwe next week.
Back from their two-week break for Christmas and the New Year, captain Laura Delany and the rest of Ed Joyce’s squad returned to freezing Irish conditions to get prepped for a trip to the southern hemisphere.
First up in Harare is a three-match ODI (One Day International) series against the hosts, followed by a quick-fire, five-game T20 series in preparation for the vital World Cup qualifiers.
This year’s T20 World Cup takes place in Bangladesh in September and October, however, Ireland will need to reach the final of the 10-team Abu Dhabi qualification competition that is set to take place in April or May.
Ireland look set to go into that tournament as the second-highest ranked side, after Sri Lanka, however, with recent opponents, Scotland, and upcoming games against Zimbabwe – who will also be in the UAE – providing similar levels of competitiveness, World Cup qualification is far-from guaranteed.
Ireland played Scotland twice in October at a warm-weather training camp in Spain, winning one and losing one, however, they comfortably won all three ODIs played between the two nations in Almeria.
The Irish side will now be looking to emulate the men’s team who recently enjoyed a series win in Harare, and those fixtures have proved quite resourceful ahead of the upcoming series.
"Having watched the men play in Harare, which is where we will be playing, the wickets look a little more used and possibly not as fresh, so we are going to have to adjust when we get there," said Delany, speaking to the media ahead of the squad’s departure to Zimbabwe.
"But that is what we want, as we know conditions will be different in Abu Dhabi to what we are used to here. The ball will turn a bit more, and again the wickets won’t be as fresh, so that will pose a different challenge."
And looking ahead to the upcoming eight games, Delany is focused on winning as many games as possible, but is completely mindful of the importance and timing of such a series with the bigger picture coming soon after on the road to World Cup qualification.
"This series couldn’t have come at a better time, as it’s such a big year ahead," said Delany.
"To have an away series in different conditions and with different challenges is brilliant. So we are itching to get back out there.
"We beat Zimbabwe away in October 2021, but a lot can change in two years.
"We have had a really good opportunity to train as a group and work on individual things, but also as a fielding unit, as that was one area that stood out against Scotland, so we’ve had time to work hard on that.
"It’s different training indoors but now we have an opportunity to get some training outdoors under our belt before the first game, and from a captain’s point of view, you want to win every game over there and if we stick to the way we want to play, we can do that."
Ireland qualified for the last T20 World Cup where they had to go head-to-head with the best teams in the world, and while Delany [pictured above] said that the team attempts to take the same approach to every game, she believes that sometimes the pressure is higher in the qualification stages.
"We approach them in the same manner," said Delany, when asked about the upcoming tournament in Abu Dhabi.
"Sometimes playing Australia or England, you have nothing to lose, whereas, when you are going to a qualifying tournament, you’re trying to qualify for a World Cup so there is a lot more at stake.
"So this [Zimbabwe trip] is a brilliant series for us as it’s going to be competitive, which is exactly what we want going into the qualifiers.
"To have that expectation around the tournament is a great mindset to have going into this series, and it allows us to put into practice what we are doing in training but also to make sure we get into a good rhythm as a team."
And as captain of the team, Delany bears a big responsibility in setting the tone and leading by example for her team-mates, and while there are some big landmarks approaching in terms of passing the 200-cap mark for Ireland, she admits that her focus is only on the upcoming fixtures.
"It’s not something I am focusing on as I’m dealing with a bit of a niggle, so I’m trying to get back on the pitch, be fit, and to be able to contribute both on and off the pitch in terms of my skills but also my leadership. I’m hoping to be available for the first game and I am managing it well.
"It’s about contributing, especially when the pressure is on, you want to be a player who stands up and delivers.
"And that’s something I would like to be known for, when the pressure is on, I’m someone who can be given the bat or the ball and make sure the team come out the other side."
Ireland have shown dramatic improvements over recent years and have been rewarded with some big performances, including beating Australia in a World Cup warm-up, while pushing other sides very close.
Yet Delany still sees areas for improvement within the current squad and with their approach to games, which will ultimately prove decisive when competing on the highest stage.
Improvements in the field is one area that the team are focusing on, but they are also looking to create a more dynamic batting approach in the T20 format, creating more depth throughout the order.
"We are looking at our style of play," said Delany. "We have three players in the top order who go out and play with a lot of freedom and have a lot of skill and talent in the T20 format, and as a batting side, that is what we are trying to replicate in our middle order.
"It is something that has not been a strength of ours over the last 12 months, and particularly in that West Indies series, that was one area that let us down, as we were so close to beating the West Indies on a couple of occasions."
And Delany credits the recent improvements on the pitch with the investment that has taken place off it within the women’s game in recent years, which has seen players awarded professional contracts.
"One of the major changes as a group is having full-time contracts," said Delany.
"Having more time training with each other, we are learning more about each others’ games, but we are also tested more frequently and train more as a group. And that allows us to put in better plans in training so we will be more prepared when we go away and play against any opposition.
"I’ve witnessed both sides, having been an amateur athlete for the majority of my career, so to see the support and resources for younger players coming through the system and the pathway that is ahead of them...
"I definitely envy them and wish the structures were in place when I was a younger player, but it means that Irish cricket is only going to go from strength to strength."
