Delany’s Vision for Ireland’s T20 World Cup Journey

Posted by By
Unveiled: Delany's Vision for Ireland's T20 World Cup Journey

Delany’s Vision for Ireland’s T20 World Cup Journey

Delany is set to lead Ireland’s campaign in Abu Dhabi over the next two weeks, aiming to secure one of the two available spots at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh, scheduled for September and October this year.

Despite having participated in four previous editions of the Women’s T20 World Cup, Ireland has yet to secure a victory in 17 matches against the dominant countries in women’s cricket.

Fearless Ireland out to inspire next generation | Women's T20WC 2023

An evolving Ireland team is determined to make a mark at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 and inspire the next generation of cricketers.

With Delany at the helm and a team comprising of big names like star batter Gaby Lewis, young all-rounder Orla Prendergast, and experienced pacer Arlene Kelly, Ireland is keen to make a statement at the qualifier and secure another opportunity to compete against the world’s best teams at the T20 World Cup.

“Securing a spot in the World Cup would be a significant achievement for us as a team and for women’s cricket in Ireland,” Delany expressed on Monday.

“Very few of our games are televised at home. Participating in a T20 World Cup would mean televised games, potentially increasing the audience for women’s cricket.

“Competing against the world’s best teams is exactly where we aspire to be. These tournaments, though nerve-wracking at times, are crucial for us as a team.”

Ireland stun Australia in warm-up fixture | Women's T20WC 2023

Ireland’s journey hit a bump when they lost their opening warm-up fixture for the qualifier against Scotland on Sunday. However, they have another opportunity to prove their mettle when they face USA in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.

Delany is expecting a swift recovery from her team, especially as Ireland’s opening match of the qualifier is against the host UAE on Thursday. Ireland will also face the Netherlands, Vanuatu, and Zimbabwe in Group B at the qualifier and need to finish in the top two spots to secure a place in the semi-finals of the event.

“We didn’t score enough runs against Scotland,” Delany admitted.

“We didn’t score over 100 runs, which is a target we need to achieve if we want to beat teams in this tournament.

“Although our bowling and fielding were commendable at times, we didn’t take enough early wickets and found ourselves on the backfoot early in the second innings, making it difficult to secure a winning position.

“We need to focus on one game at a time and not look too far ahead. The game against USA tomorrow will be a good challenge for us to bounce back from yesterday’s performance.”