Pakistan games

wicorthered

Full strength squad announced. Very surprised at that, usually county games come first for the county players and there are several games over these dates. Great sign of how far Irish cricket has come.

Fancy us to win one of the ODIs!!

TheDrog

The squad in full is as follows:
William Porterfield (Captain) (Warwickshire),
Alex Cusack (Clontarf),
Trent Johnston (Railway Union),
Nigel Jones (Civil Service North),
Ed Joyce (Sussex),
Niall McDonnell (Strabane),
John Mooney (North County),
Kevin O`Brien (Gloucestershire),
Niall O`Brien (Northants),
Boyd Rankin (Warwickshire),
Paul Stirling (Middlesex),
Albert Van der Merwe (YMCA),
Andrew White (Instonians),
Gary Wilson (Surrey).

Dockrell and Marshall injured, Botha retired

SSK

Great to see a full strength Pakistan team, clearly they take us seriously anyway.

Irish batting line up looks good even without Marshall, all of them have gotten some county runs this year. Our bowling line up looks weak without Dockrell and Botha there. We're still so reliant on TJ to lead the attack.

riffmongous

We have a great chance of getting a win, Pakistans batting is very fragile at the moment. Is Mohammed Yousuf going to be in their squad? He seems in good form at the moment, well at least he looked it in that Warwickshire game on the bad pitch

TheDrog

not good news
from cricketeurope:
Ireland coach Phil Simmons faces an anxious wait over the fitness of wicket-keeper Niall O’Brien ahead of next weekend’s two One-Day Internationals against Pakistan in Belfast, writes Emmet Riordan.
O’Brien took a heavy blow to his left hand from former England seamer Simon Jones in last Friday’s CB40 game against Hampshire, although he played through the pain to score a match-winning 121, his first century in limited-over cricket.
O’Brien missed yesterday’s CB40 victory over Scotland to have physio on the injury and will undergo an X-ray today ahead of their county championship clash against Leicestershire tomorrow.

Cremated

It just puts more pressure on the big players now, Joyce and Porterfield will really need to step up, I do think Wilson showed a lot of class in the World Cup but I wouldn't think his skills with the gloves are as good as Niall's ...

wicorthered

Poynter called up to replace NOB. Huge loss considering the form he was in!

HonalD

Cremated wrote: »

It just puts more pressure on the big players now, Joyce and Porterfield will really need to step up, I do think Wilson showed a lot of class in the World Cup but I wouldn't think his skills with the gloves are as good as Niall's ...

Wilson is a good wicketkeeper - he doesn't get as many plaudits as O'Brien and insn't as chatty but I wouldn't be worried on the keeping side - just that NO'B has been in good nick with the bat.

riffmongous

Very disappointing news for us and for Niall The Pakistani batsman have done well in the current test match too, 277 & 377/6d.

SSK

That's a sickener to lose our best player when he was in such good nick to an injury. Wilson was decent in the WC but has lost his place in the Surrey team and wasn't keeping wicket when he was in so without doubt its a significant blow to our chances.

As was said above, our hopes really rest on the top 3 (Joyce, Porterfield and Stirling) making runs because I don't see us restricting them too well without Dockrell. Joyce in particular needs to put an innings together.

barrera

Are these matches sold out (tickets not available on ticketmaster right now).

Also, are they on TV at all?

TrueDub

barrera wrote: »

Are these matches sold out (tickets not available on ticketmaster right now).

Also, are they on TV at all?

Tickets available on the gate apparently, miles away from a sellout.

And no, there's no TV coverage anywhere.

reb73

The maverick Shahid Afridi is reportedly out of this series due to his father's illness.

Cricinfo Link

barrera

TrueDub wrote: »

Tickets available on the gate apparently, miles away from a sellout.

And no, there's no TV coverage anywhere.

Cheers. Why the hell do they ever have games in Stormont, they never seem to sell well.

KevIRL

boo to rain

Cremated

Joyce is set to open with Stirling and Porterfield comes in at 3, it's 41 overs a side and Pakistan won the toss and have selected to field first,

I imagine Joyce is opening as he is better against spin?, I really hope it's work for us ...

KevIRL

Down to a 38 over game now.

Joyce out early on. But Stirling flying, he hit 18 in the 4th over and 11 off the 5th. Ireland 39-1 after 5 with Stirling on 35 off 17 balls

riffmongous

Stirling is on fire at the moment 39 from 20, great batting considering I expected it to be a pure bowlers wicket

KevIRL

riffmongous wrote: »

Stirling is on fire at the moment 39 from 20, great batting considering I expected it to be a pure bowlers wicket

He's out now 39 off 22 balls

KevIRL

Cusack out now. Ireland 49-3 (7.2)

KevIRL

5 down. Porterfield out. 51-4.

KOB to the wicket to huge cheers

KevIRL

Kev O Brien out. 66-5. fooked

Cremated

This is really quite embarrassing at this stage, I thought we could give them a game ...

KevIRL

White out first ball 66-6 now. Junaid Kahn with 4 wickets and now on a hat trick!

KevIRL

Could be saved by the rain...

Placebo

GOD DAYMMMNN
who is junaid khan !?

KevIRL

Wilson gone now. Ireland 90-7 after 18 ovs

KevIRL

A complete rout. Mooney out. 92-8

KevIRL

All out for 96

riffmongous

l wasn't able to follow the game from the time I made my last post, so when I checked the score a minute ago the last thing I expected to see was a (probable) 10 wicket loss

riffmongous

Only 2000 fans showed up, even allowing for the rain that still has to be disappointing?