Putting 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 <a href="https://www.cricket.com/news/a-new-era-for-ireland-cricket-awaits-after-an-underwhelming-2021-1641570282876" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">disappointing 2021</a>.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&rsquo;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 &ndash; a feat that helped him move<a href="https://www.cricket.com/news/travis-head-attains-career-best-ranking-position-following-splendid-ashes-performance-1642585508019" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">&nbsp;into the top 10 of the ICC ODI rankings</a>.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/image.cricket.com/articles/fff34b1203d90fcd212dc866303f3f0d71a0d73e.png" style="width: 900px; margin: 5px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">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.&nbsp;At the end of the day, you can only tackle what&rsquo;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.&nbsp;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.<img src="https://s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/image.cricket.com/articles/e09da14990b0271feb50bee99f363d5ae5c28643.png" style="width: 900px; margin: 5px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">However, what has been disappointing is their run-rate across the facets of the innings. Ireland&rsquo;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&rsquo;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.&nbsp;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&rsquo;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.Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

Ireland came from behind to beat West Indies 2-1 in the ODI series to kick start the year on a perfect note 

Paul Stirling

Andy Balbirnie

Andy McBrine

Ireland tour of West Indies, 2022

Ireland

A series win that could propel Ireland to greater heights

Andy McBrine claimed four wickets and smashed a half-century as Ireland edged West Indies by two wickets to win their One-Day International series 2-1 on Sunday with home skipper Kieron Pollard describing the defeat as &quot;a sad day&quot; for his struggling team.McBrine took his total of wickets in the three matches to 10 as the West Indies were all out for 212 in 44.4 overs at Sabina Park. He then showed off his all-round talents by hitting a top score of 59 off 100 balls with six boundaries and a six.Harry Tector also played his part in what was Ireland&#39;s first away ODI series triumph against a fellow Test nation. The 24-year-old finished with 52, his third successive half-century and seventh in his last 10 matches.&quot;It&#39;s a sad day for us and West Indies cricket,&quot; admitted Pollard. &quot;We take responsibility and me too for the performance on the field. It&#39;s a bitter pill to swallow.&quot;He added: &quot;We just haven&#39;t been up to standard. Now we need a holistic approach to go forward, not just on the field. It won&#39;t happen tonight. We have to get together and decide where we want to take West Indies cricket.&quot;When McBrine departed in the 31st over, the 28-year-old all-rounder had taken Ireland to 152-3, helping his team recover from losing opener William Porterfield to the first ball of the innings to Alzarri Joseph. McBrine&#39;s second career half-century ended with a lazy swipe to Odean Smith which was gobbled up by Shai Hope behind the stumps.However, Ireland, who were missing several players including regular captain Andy Balbirnie because of Covid, still had to endure a nervy finish, quickly slipping from 190-4 to 208-8 before Craig Young steered the winning boundary with 31 balls to spare.It was a memorable series for McBrine -- he also suffered a concussion after being hit on the head in the first game. After West Indies were put in, he claimed 4-28 from his 10 overs of off-spin.The home side were 119/7 at one stage before former skipper Jason Holder (44) and Akeal Hosein (23) repaired some of the damage. Hope top-scored with 53 off 39 balls, hitting nine fours and one six as he dominated an opening stand of 72 in 11 overs with Justin Greaves.McBrine particularly shone when he removed Nicholas Pooran, Shamarh Brooks and skipper Kieron Pollard in quick succession to put Ireland within touch of a famous series victory. &quot;It means a lot as the last three, four weeks have not been easy,&quot; said McBrine. &quot;But we have shown great spirit.&quot;West Indies won the first game by 24 runs before Ireland levelled the series with a five-wicket victory.&nbsp;Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

McBrine took four wickets and also crafted a fifty to help Ireland win the decider by two wickets

Harry Tector

Shai Hope

Craig Young

Roston Chase

Akeal Hosein

West Indies

McBrine, Tector star as Ireland defeat West Indies to claim ODI series

Harry Tector&#39;s unbeaten 54 helped Ireland to a five-wicket win over the West Indies in a rain-affected second one-day international in Kingston on Thursday (January 13) to set up a series decider this weekend. Victory saw Ireland square the three-match contest at 1-1 ahead of the teams&#39; return for a now decisive finale at Sabina Park on Sunday (January 16).Ireland were set a revised target of 168 from 36 overs under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method after a rain delay of more than an hour, finished on 168-5 with 20 balls to spare. They had been chasing 230 at the start of their innings and were well-placed at 158 for 4 when play was halted midway through the 32nd over.By that stage, Tector had already completed his second fifty of the series following the 53 he made during a 24-run defeat in the first ODI, with the 22-year-old hitting four fours and a six. George Dockrell fell after the resumption but by then Ireland were just three runs shy of victory.Earlier, Romario Shepherd&#39;s maiden ODI fifty helped the West Indies recover to 229 all out In a match postponed from Tuesday because of a Covid-19 outbreak in the Irish camp, the two-time world champions collapsed to 111 for 7 after losing the toss.But a ninth-wicket partnership of 58 between Shepherd (50) and Odean Smith (46) took the West Indies past 200 before they were bowled out with two overs left in their innings. The 27-year-old Shepherd, best known as a pace bowler, completed his first fifty in nine matches at this level off 41 balls, including seven fours.But having made exactly 50, he was bowled by Andy McBrine, the off-spinner returning fine man-of-the-match figures of 4 for 36 in 10 overs on a ground where Ireland dramatically knocked Pakistan out of the 2007 50-over World Cup.Ireland paceman Craig Young (3 for 42) removed the West Indies&#39; top three, before number four batsman Shamarh Brooks made 43 in just his second match at this level. This series forms part of the World Cup Super League, with both teams looking to gain points to earn them an automatic qualifying place for the 2023 World Cup in India.Brief scores:West Indies 229 in 48 overs (Romario Shepherd 50, Shamarh Brooks 43; Andy McBrine 4 for 36; Craig Young 3 for 42) lost to Ireland 168 for 5 in 32.3 overs (Harry Tector 54*, Andy McBrine 35; Akeal Hosein 2 for 51) by 5 wickets (DLS Method)Revised target for Ireland - 168 in 36 oversPowered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

Ireland were set a revised target of 168 from 36 overs under the DLS method after a rain delay of more than an hour

Harry Tector's unbeaten fifty helps Ireland level ODI series vs West Indies

The second One-Day International between West Indies and Ireland has been postponed, scheduled to be played on Tuesday (January 11), after three members of the Ireland camp tested positive for Covid-19. &nbsp;&nbsp;Tuesday&#39;s game in Kingston was postponed &quot;following recent testing, and two players being ruled out due to injury, resulting in Ireland having a severely depleted squad&quot;, Cricket West Indies and Cricket Ireland said in a joint statement.The two bodies said they were reviewing the match schedule and &quot;working to explore all possibilities for the series to be completed&quot;.According to a report in ESPNcricinfo, Ireland captain Andy Balbirnie, wicketkeeper-batter Lorcan Tucker and interim head coach David Ripley returned positive tests over the weekend. Meanwhile, Simi Singh and Ben White had tested positive prior to the series and missed the first ODI.Earlier, Ireland&rsquo;s ODI series against USA was also cancelled due to Covid. Paul Stirling and Shane Getkate tested positive and were quarantined in Florida. However, the two were set to feature in the second ODI. Meanwhile, Ireland&#39;s Andy McBrine and Mark Adair are currently out injured.West Indies won the first ODI of the three-match series by 24 runs. The two teams are also scheduled to play a solitary T20I on January 16.(With inputs from AFP)Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

Andy Balbirnie, Lorcan Tucker and interim head coach David Ripley returned positive tests over the weekend

Lorcan Tucker

West Indies-Ireland second ODI postponed due to Covid cases and injuries

Ireland&#39;s Paul Stirling and Shane Getkate will join rest of the squad for the remainder limited-overs series against West Indies after returning negative Covid-19 tests on Sunday.&nbsp;Their return is a boost for the Irish who have lost Simi Singh and Ben White after the duo tested positive on Saturday before the first ODI in Jamaica.&nbsp;Cricket Ireland confirmed that Andy McBrine, who was hit on the helmet in the first ODI, suffered from a mild concussive episode and his symptoms were &quot;very minor&quot;. An official release said that he would be available for selection for the second ODI, subject to another assessment on Monday.A spate of covid cases within the Ireland and USA contingents last month saw the series cancelled. Stirling and Getkate had to stay back in Florida as a result while captain Andy Balbirnie and Andy McBrine also had to then isolate as they were deemed close contacts, but were allowed to join the squad in Jamaica after returning negative tests.The remaining two ODIs and the lone T20I on January 17 between West Indies and Ireland will be played at Sabina Park in Kingston.Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

Paul Stirling and Shane Getkate had to isolate in Florida after they tested positive before the cancelled USA series

Stirling, Getkate to join Ireland squad after testing negative

Shamarh Brooks, making his ODI debut at the age of 33, top-scored with 93 as West Indies defeated Ireland by 24 runs in the first match of a three-game series at Sabina Park on Saturday (January 8).The West Indies made 269 after being put into bat before Ireland collapsed from 165 for 1 to 245 all out in reply. Brooks, whose late development as an international cricketer meant the Barbados batsman was already 29 when he made his Test debut, hit nine boundaries and three sixes in his 89-ball stay.Captain Kieron Pollard smashed 69 with four boundaries and four sixes in a 155-run fifth-wicket partnership with Brooks. Three of those sixes came off successive balls in the 37th over bowled by Andy McBrine as the pair rescued their team from a worrying 62 for 4.Opening bowler Mark Adair returned figures of 3-38 off 8.5 overs including the lbw dismissal of Brooks. In reply, the Irish were well-set at 165 for 1 with captain Andy Balbirnie making 71 and Harry Tector contributing 53.Balbirnie hit seven fours and a six while Tector swept five boundaries and one six. However, once they fell in the space of eight balls, the required run-rate crept up and the West Indies claimed a key opening victory in a series that forms part of the qualifying route to the 2023 World Cup.Romario Shepherd finished with 3-50, including the key wicket of Balbirnie, while Alzarri Joseph claimed 3-55. Ireland&#39;s problems were compounded by McBrine getting hit on the helmet by debutant fast bowler Odean Smith in the 16th over.McBrine had made 34 when he was forced to retire with a concussion. Ireland&#39;s star opening batsman Paul Stirling and all-rounder Shane Getkate were both ruled out of the game having tested positive for Covid-19 in Florida where the ODI leg of their tour was abandoned.&nbsp;Simi Singh and Ben White were also sidelined after testing positive on Friday night. The West Indies were also hit by Covid which ruled out Evin Lewis, Fabian Allen and Anderson Phillip. Shimron Hetmyer, West Indies&#39; leading run-scorer at the T20 World Cup last year, was dropped for failing to meet fitness standards.The second match of the series takes place at the same venue on Tuesday (January 11).Brief scores:West Indies 269 in 48.5 overs (Shamarh Brooks 93, Kieron Pollard 69; Mark Adair 3 for 38) beat Ireland 245 in 49.1 overs (Andy Balbirnie 71, Harry Tector 53; Romario Shepherd 3 for 50)Player of the match: Shamrah BrooksPowered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

In pursuit of 270, Ireland collapsed from 165 for 1 to 245 all out

Shamarh Brooks

Shamarh Brooks slams 93 on debut as West Indies edge past Ireland in 1st ODI

West Indies captain Kieron Pollard expressed his disappointment at the way the players have been unable to maintain their fitness levels which has affected their results at the highest level. The two-time T20 world champions were recently knocked out of the T20 World Cup in the Super 12s stage and then suffered a 3-0 whitewash against Pakistan last month.Ahead of the ODI series against Ireland on Saturday, Pollard spoke about how players should pride themselves in keeping fit.&quot;It has been an issue that has been plaguing us for the last couple of years,&quot; Pollard said.&quot;One way to look at it is, the selection policy, the fitness policies are there. Guys know exactly what is needed to represent the West Indian team. Sometimes, as individuals, we take it for granted. Yes, sometimes it hinders the process of selecting the best players at the given available time,&quot; he added.&quot;I will also say that it&#39;s an individual thing, they are supposed to pride themselves on being fit, performing and doing what is necessary for the team. When these things tend to happen, as an individual, I am sure it doesn&#39;t bode well to us too.&quot;Pollard who had his share of injury struggles in the last year, spoke about his own recovery.&quot;Again, this is something I take very personally - fitness - and me being not able to participate because of injury - because that doesn&#39;t go too well with myself. Hence I got an opportunity to detour and recover and hopefully, I can stay with the team because I pride myself on that,&quot; he said.The 34-year old hoped that his team can improve small things like running between the wickets to better their performances.&quot;Hopefully, we can still hit the ground running and improve in the areas we need to. Small, small areas: running between the wickets, communication, rotation of strike, and continue to get better as cricketers. These are some of the things we&#39;ve identified and want to execute. And from a bowling perspective, in the back-end of the innings, nailing our yorkers and improving our skillsets as cricketers,&quot; Pollard said.West Indies will host Ireland for three ODIs and a T20I from January 8-16 at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica. Pollard said how a defeat for his team is not an option.&quot;The sad reality is that I don&#39;t believe that if we win these games - this might be talking out of context but that&#39;s not what I&#39;m saying - if we were to win all three games, it&#39;s something that people will expect us to do,&quot; he said.&quot;There&#39;s a no-win situation there. But if we were to lose, then that brings a different perspective.&quot; Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

West Indies skipper Kieron Pollard spoke at length about the fitness issues that have been hindering West Indies

Kieron Pollard

Fitness issues have plagued Windies for last couple of years: Pollard

Ireland head into Saturday&#39;s first one-day international against the West Indies understrength and under-fire after struggling badly in the USA leg of their tour.&nbsp;Star opening batsman Paul Stirling and all-rounder Shane Getkate have both been ruled out of the first of the three-match series after testing positive for Covid-19 in Florida but Ireland&#39;s problems lie deeper than that.The Irish, who chalked up famous World Cup wins over Pakistan in 2007 and England in 2011, have consistently failed to live up to their relatively new status as a full member of the ICC, most recently when they were outgunned by associate member USA in the opening T20 last month.&nbsp;They recovered to edge the second match narrowly before seeing the ODI series cancelled because of Covid.That defeat to the Americans, though, underlined captain Andrew Balbirnie&#39;s comment before the tour that &quot;nothing suggests we&#39;re a Test-playing nation bar the name&quot; and followed a lacklustre T20 World Cup campaign that saw them eliminated by Namibia, another associate ICC member, before the Super 12 stage of the tournament.That loss, and Ireland&#39;s failure to progress at either grass roots or international level, saw coach Graham Ford stepping down in November.&nbsp;Heinrich Malan was named this week as his replacement but the 40-year-old South African will not come on board until March.&nbsp;&quot;Alarm bells ringing in place of jingle bells for troubled Ireland cricket&quot; ran the headline in the Sunday Independent just after Christmas.The West Indies tour, which will bring qualification points for the 2023 50-over World Cup, got off to a limp start with a crushing five-wicket defeat by Jamaica on Tuesday - the home side knocked off the 235 they needed to win with 68 balls to spare.&nbsp;The one glimmer of light for the Irish is that the West Indies have also been hit with Covid which has ruled out Evin Lewis, Fabian Allen and Anderson Phillip.&nbsp;Andre Russell has been overlooked in spite of his recent spell in the Big Bash League while there is no room for Shimron Hetmyer, West Indies&#39; leading run-scorer at the T20 World Cup, who took a broadside from coach Phil Simmons for being unfit.&quot;It&#39;s something that&#39;s heart-wrenching because you know that you&#39;re part of this team and you have to continue to have a certain fitness to be part of this team, and you keep letting down your team-mates,&quot; said Simmons when the squads were announced on New Year&#39;s Eve.Nor is Chris Gayle included in the T20 side prompting suggestions that, at the age of 42, the great man is finally being pensioned off.The two sides will play three ODIs followed by a one-off T20, all at Sabina Park.&nbsp;The two-time world champions then travel to Barbados to face England in five T20Is at Kensington Oval from January 22 to 30.Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

The three-match ODI series kicks-off on Saturday in Jamaica

Under-fire Ireland face tough task against West Indies


After the conclusion of the T20 World Cup in UAE in November 2021, Chris Gayle announced that he wanted to bow out in front of his home fans but that wish is probably all but over. He was a surprise absence from the West Indies squad named on Friday for a one-off T20 against Ireland but captain Kieron Pollard returns from injury for the series which also includes England.&nbsp;The 42-year-old Gayle had been expected to be given his international farewell in front of his home crowd at Sabina Park in Kingston. But the Jamaican government have announced that fans will not be allowed at sporting events due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The West Indies host Ireland in the three-match International (ODI) Series and a one-off T20 International (T20I) from January 8 to 16.&nbsp;The two-time World Champions then travel to Barbados to face England in five T20Is at Kensington Oval from January 22 to 30.Pollard, 34, returns having missed the tour of Pakistan after failing to recover from a hamstring injury he sustained during the recent T20 World Cup. &quot;We have tried to maintain the general make-up of the squads from the Pakistan Tour before Christmas, with the captain and some senior players coming back in,&quot; said head coach Phil Simmons.&nbsp;&quot;COVID-19 has also played a part in the final make-up of the squad. The challenges in the next couple months are getting the young players in both squads to not only improve on their skills but maintain the attitude and desire we saw in Pakistan.&quot;We do need to start the year on a high. And we know both Ireland and England have very good teams, so we expect a very strong challenge as we look to improve our chances of automatic qualification for the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2023 and building the T20 team for the ICC T20 World Cup in 2022.&quot;West Indies squadsODIs vs Ireland : Kieron Pollard (captain), Shai Hope (vice captain), Shamarh Brooks, Roston Chase, Justin Greaves, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Jayden Seales, Nicholas Pooran, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Devon ThomasCOVID-19 Reserves: Keacy Carty, Sheldon CottrellT20Is vs Ireland and England: Kieron Pollard (captain), Nicholas Pooran (vice captain), Fabian Allen (England T20I only), Darren Bravo (England T20Is only), Roston Chase, Sheldon Cottrell, Dominic Drakes, Shai Hope, Akel Hosein, Jason Holder, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Rovman Powell, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Hayden Walsh Jr.COVID-19 Reserves: Jayden Seales, Alzarri Joseph, Devon ThomasPowered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

The two-time World Champions then travel to Barbados to face England in five T20Is at Kensington Oval from January 22 to 30

Chris Gayle

England tour of West Indies, 2022

England

No home farewell as Gayle left out of West Indies squad for Ireland, England series

Ireland all-rounders Paul Stirling and Shane Getkate have tested positive for COVID-19 and are set to miss at least the first match of the ODI series against the West Indies, to be played in Jamaica.Stirling and Getkate are self-isolating at a hotel. Two other players -- Andy McBrine and Andy Balbirnie -- have also been forced to isolate after being identified as close contacts.Ireland&#39;s ODI series against USA was earlier called off at short notice after a string of positive tests on both sides. The touring party are due to fly to Jamaica for three ODIs and a T20I, starting on January 8 in Kingston.The second and the third ODIs are also to be played in Kingston on January 11 and 14. The lone T20 International is scheduled to be played in Kingston on January 17.Cricket Ireland said in a statement that Balbirnie and McBrine are likely to join the squad in Jamaica on January 2, pending further negative tests. Stirling and Getkate can leave quarantine on January 9, the day after the first ODI against West Indies, dependent upon subsequent PCR tests showing negative results.&quot;Paul Stirling and Shane Getkate registered positive tests and have been isolated, with a mandatory 10-day quarantine. George Dockrell was a further concern, but has subsequently been found to have registered a false positive,&quot; Cricket Ireland said.&quot;It is a challenging time for all, but the players have responded very well to operating within the Managed Environment over the last two weeks,&quot; Cricket Ireland High Performance Director Richard Holdsworth said.A managed environment is different to a bio-bubble and is used to try and find a balance between risk mitigation from the virus and impacts of sustained periods of isolation on the mental and physical health needs of players and staff.&quot;Part of this new approach is the ability to have several partners travel with the squad, however, these additional people are required to abide by the same testing and travel protocols as the players,&quot; Holdsworth said.&quot;However, the transmissibility of this latest strain of the virus has not spared us nor indeed the USA squad nor the umpires in our recent series.&quot;He said Ireland have an extended squad on this tour, so will be able to cope with the absence of the players pending no further outbreaks.&quot;We are also working closely with Cricket West Indies to ensure that both parties are satisfied with the current arrangements in place.&quot;The matches in the West Indies will be played behind closed doors after Jamaica&#39;s minister of local government and rural development announced this week that it was &quot;simply not practical to give the green light for public access&quot; due to the spread of the Omicron variant.Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

Irish duo of Stirling and Getkate set to miss at least the first ODI against West Indies

IRELAND TOUR OF WEST INDIES 2022

Ireland tour of West Indies, 2022 | home

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