Ireland captain Gaby Lewis and her team-mates head into their upcoming ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 Qualifier full of confidence as they bid to secure one of the two places up for grabs in the main event in India later this year.
The qualifier tournament is a six-team event in round-robin format, also featuring hosts Pakistan, West Indies, Bangladesh, Scotland and Thailand.
The Ireland squad arrived in Pakistan on Friday and played two warm-up games against West Indies and Thailand, with all-rounder Laura Delany scoring back-to-back half-centuries.
Ireland face Pakistan in their opener on Wednesday and Lewis said: "We're feeling very confident going into this qualifier.
"We've had some great preparation leading up to it, with a good training camp in Dubai, and we've been working really hard to acclimatise to the heat. There were some heat chamber sessions back home.
"Overall, we're trying not to put too much pressure on ourselves. It’s mostly about going out, enjoying ourselves and playing with our own aggressive nature - then hopefully the results will look after themselves."
Lewis highlighted two players who could prove key in the quest for qualification, adding: "One definitely to watch would be Orla Prendergast. She’s really been great for us over the last 12 months with both bat and ball - so really looking forward to seeing what she can do in this tournament.
"The next player would be Laura Delany, who has done brilliantly in the first two warm-up games. She’s also been great for us over the last 12 months - so looking forward to seeing her with bat and ball in this qualifier tournament."
Fixtures
9 April: Ireland vs Pakistan - Gaddafi Stadium
11 April: Ireland vs West Indies - Gaddafi Stadium
13 April: Ireland vs Bangladesh - Gaddafi Stadium
15 April: Ireland vs Thailand - LCCA
18 April: Ireland vs Scotland Gaddafi Stadium
Ireland squad: Gaby Lewis (captain), Ava Canning, Christina Coulter Reilly, Alana Dalzell, Laura Delany, Sarah Forbes, Amy Hunter, Arlene Kelly, Louise Little, Sophie MacMahon, Jane Maguire, Kia McCartney, Cara Murray, Leah Paul, Orla Prendergast (vice-captain).
