OPINION
Follow UsPutting up a fight, causing upsets and memorable individual performances - The Irish have always had it in them. They added another feather to their cap this time. They did not just win the ODI series against West Indies after being 1-0 down, they did so with plenty of players in and out of their squad due to Covid-19. While they were not left with much resources, they utilised them perfectly to give them a huge boost after going through a disappointing 2021.
Paul Stirling, who led Ireland in the last two ODIs came into the series after recovering from Covid, which he contracted on the US-leg. They were without their regular captain Andy Balbirnie for the last two games.
The star of the series for Ireland, Andy McBrine could have missed the last two games after being struck on the head in the first game, where he had to retire hurt for 34. Thankfully for Ireland, he did recover and went on to play a crucial role with both bat and ball to help his side clinch the series. In the absence of Simi Singh, Ben White and Balbirnie, McBrine ensured none of them were missed as he not just batted in the top three, but was Ireland’s best bowler in the series.
McBrine managed 128 runs at an average of 64 and with the ball he finished as the highest wicket-taker with 10 wickets at an average of 11.60 – a feat that helped him move into the top 10 of the ICC ODI rankings. 
What this series win does is that it puts Ireland in the top three of the ICC ODI Super League points table, which is one of the qualification modes for the 2023 World Cup in India. With two wins in the series, Ireland have accumulated 20 points and have accumulated 68 so far. Only Bangladesh (80) and England (95) have more.
It was not too long ago that Ireland had lost an ODI series 2-1 against the Netherlands and have now come to the Caribbean and beaten a free-flowing West Indies side, who granted, were not full-strength with the likes of Shimron Hetmyer, Andre Russell and Jason Holder, among others missing.
At the end of the day, you can only tackle what’s given to you. Ireland, despite having concerns of their own, did just that and paved way for hopefully better days ahead.
What this victory also does is that it puts them in good stead for the T20 World Cup Qualifiers in Oman, where they will face tough competitions against the likes of UAE, Nepal, Oman and few others. While Ireland remain favourites to qualify, it is not always that straightforward.
While many top teams, including India, have issues to sort out in the 50-over format, the situation remains the same for Ireland. Fitness, lack of match time and Covid have been an issue, but more than a few players have put their hands up to deliver at the right time.
In ODIs since 2020, three out of the top six run-getters are from Ireland, with Stirling the only player in the world to have accumulated over 1000 runs. Among those are Balbirnie, who has 720 runs at an average of 36 and Harry Tector, who has been in top form of late, slamming 670 runs and averages 41.88 per game.
However, what has been disappointing is their run-rate across the facets of the innings. Ireland’s run-rate in the first 10 overs and in the middle overs in ODIs since 2020 have been 4.2 and 4.6 respectively. While they do make up for it with a scoring rate of 6.7 in the final 10, they manage to score at an average of just 17.6 and lose a wicket every 15.8 deliveries which are among the worst.
What they could perhaps do is have someone like George Dockrell bat in the top five to up the scoring rate. Getting Kevin O’Brien back into the fold may not be such a bad idea. While the likes of Balbirnie and McBrine, who has batted above seven quite rarely, they are more of anchors than aggressors.
While Stirling can be one of the aggressors at the top, he needs one or two other players in there to play at a brisk rate that could enable him to play a long innings.
They have enough depth in their bowling with the likes of Josh Little, Craig, Young and Mark Adair leading the fast bowling department, the likes of McBrine, Simi Singh and Ben White add depth to their spin department.
In the recent T20 World Cup, after brushing aside the Netherlands in the first game, Ireland failed to win their remaining two games, including a loss to newbies Namibia to crash out of the tournament, where they were once again considered favourites to make it through to the Super 12s. Had things gone according to plan, they would have made it straight to the main event in Australia, without playing any of these qualifiers.
Despite being a full-member for the last 4-5 years, Ireland’s chances of playing the big boys have been limited. They have played three Tests till date and not many countries have toured Ireland in the recent past for a bilateral series. Ireland, much like Scotland, was seen as a stopover for sides like India, South Africa and others, wherein they would maybe play a couple of ODIs or a lone T20I before heading to England, where they would engage in a tour comprising of many more matches, across formats.
Things do not look promising for Ireland in 2022 when it comes to playing Tests. They are slated to play four this year and all of them are scheduled to be played away from home.
When will other nations make Ireland their cricketing destination and make it a standalone tour? Until that happens, we may never see Ireland reach its full potential in the near future.
