Ireland is set to take on Bangladesh in a three-match One-Day International series, with hopes of winning all three matches and keeping their chances of qualifying for the ODI World Cup alive. The opening match will be played on Tuesday, followed by the second match on Friday, and the third match on Sunday.
Ireland skipper Andrew Balbirnie has stated that their sole focus is on winning the series 3-0, but a sweep may not even be enough to qualify. If Ireland wins all three matches, they will be level on points with South Africa and hope to better their run-rate to finish eighth in the World Cup Super League standings.
Despite the challenge ahead, Balbirnie is confident in his team's abilities, especially with the return of pacer Josh Little after a successful stint in his maiden Indian Premier League (IPL). Balbirnie is also banking on the inexperience of the Bangladesh players in playing in the United Kingdom.
The two teams previously met in 2019, with Bangladesh beating Ireland by six wickets in Dublin. However, Ireland lost 2-0 to Bangladesh in the away ODI series in Sylhet two months ago, making a clean sweep a tall order for Balbirnie's team.
"We're a confident team but we can't get too far ahead of ourselves. We'll just have to think about winning the first game and then work on the second match," said Balbirnie.