Irish cricket team against Afghanistan in the UAE in 2020–21
| Ireland against Afghanistan in the UAE in 2020–21 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 | ||
| Afghanistan | Ireland | ||
| Dates | 21 – 26 January 2021 | ||
| Captains | Asghar Afghan | Andrew Balbirnie | |
| One Day International series | |||
| Results | Afghanistan won the 3-match series 3–0 | ||
| Most runs | Rahmanullah Gurbaz (180) | Paul Stirling (285) | |
| Most wickets | Naveen-ul-Haq (8) | Andy McBrine (6) | |
| Player of the series | Paul Stirling (Ire) | ||
The Ireland cricket team toured the United Arab Emirates in January 2021 to play three One Day International (ODI) matches against Afghanistan.[1][2] The ODI series formed part of the inaugural 2020–2023 ICC Cricket World Cup Super League.[3][4] All of the matches were played at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi.[5][6]
The Afghanistan team's visa applications for travel to the UAE were delayed,[7] resulting in the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) making contingency plans for the series to be played in Oman.[8] However, on 5 January 2021, the ACB confirmed that the team would be travelling to the UAE per the original schedule.[9] The start of the series was moved back three days from the original schedule,[10] due to the visa issues and a ten-day quarantine period in place in the UAE.[11]
In the opening match, debutant Rahmanullah Gurbaz scored 127 runs to help Afghanistan win by 16 runs.[12] In the second match, Rahmat Shah scored a century, with Afghanistan winning by seven wickets to take an unassailable lead in the series.[13] Afghanistan won the third ODI by 36 runs, to win the series 3–0.[14]
Squads
[edit]| ODIs | |
|---|---|
 Afghanistan[15]
|
 Ireland[16]
|
David Delany was ruled out of the series due to a knee injury, with Josh Little joining Ireland's squad.[17] Little was originally named in the team, but had to self-isolate after a positive COVID-19 result from a close contact.[18] Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and Mujeeb Ur Rahman were all playing in the Big Bash League in Australia, before leaving the tournament to join the rest of the Afghanistan squad.[19] On 11 January 2021, Shane Getkate was added to Ireland's squad, as a replacement for David Delany,[20] and Conor Olphert was added to their squad as a net bowler.[21]
Tour match
[edit]Ahead of the ODI series, the two teams played in unofficial warm-up match, with Afghanistan winning by 23 runs.[22]
16 January 2021
Scorecard |
v
|
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- Ireland won the toss and elected to field.
- The match was reduced to 45 overs per side.
ODI series
[edit]1st ODI
[edit]v
|
||
- Afghanistan won the toss and elected to bat.
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Azmatullah Omarzai (Afg) both made their ODI debuts.
- Andy McBrine (Ire) took his 50th wicket and his first five-wicket haul in ODIs.[23]
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz became the first batsman for Afghanistan to score a century on their ODI debut.[24]
- World Cup Super League points: Afghanistan 10, Ireland 0.
2nd ODI
[edit]v
|
||
- Ireland won the toss and elected to bat.
- World Cup Super League points: Afghanistan 10, Ireland 0.
3rd ODI
[edit]v
|
||
- Ireland won the toss and elected to field.
- Paul Stirling scored his 12th century, the most by a cricketer for Ireland in ODIs.[25]
- World Cup Super League points: Afghanistan 10, Ireland 0.
References
[edit]- ^ "Final touches being made to busy schedule for Ireland's cricketers". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
- ^ "Balbirnie not heading to Abu Dhabi for a holiday as Ireland's cricketers reconvene for first time in five months". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
- ^ "Schedule for inaugural World Test Championship announced". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
- ^ "Men's Future Tours Programme" (PDF). International Cricket Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 July 2019. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
- ^ "Afghanistan confirm Ireland matches in Abu Dhabi". Cricket Europe. Archived from the original on 17 November 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
- ^ "Afghanistan-Ireland ODI series provides BBL headache". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
- ^ "Squad announced for Ireland series". Afghanistan Cricket Board. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
- ^ "Afghanistan-Ireland series to be held in the UAE after visas come through". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
- ^ "National team to travel to UAE today for Ireland series". Afghanistan Cricket Board. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
- ^ "Change of fixture dates agreed for Afghanistan v Ireland series". Cricket Ireland. Archived from the original on 6 January 2021. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
- ^ "Will Afghanistan series be delayed?". Cricket Europe. Archived from the original on 5 January 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
- ^ "Gurbaz century stars on Afghanistan debut in Super League win over Ireland". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
- ^ "Rahmat Shah's 103* trumps Paul Stirling's 128 as Afghanistan go 2-0 up". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
- ^ "3rd ODI, Abu Dhabi, Jan 26 2021, Ireland tour of United Arab Emirates". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
- ^ "Afghanistan announce 16-member squad for ODI series against Ireland". Cricbuzz. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
- ^ "Ireland names 16-man squad to face UAE and Afghanistan in back-to-back series' in January". Cricket Ireland. Archived from the original on 12 December 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
- ^ "Injury forces change to Irish squad ahead of UAE series". Cricket Ireland. Archived from the original on 6 January 2021. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
- ^ "Ireland v Afghanistan: This month's series to start three days later than scheduled". BBC Sport. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
- ^ "Rashid, Nabi, Mujeeb to depart BBL for international duty; Siddle suffers minor fracture". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
- ^ "Shane Getkate called into Ireland squad for UAE, Afghanistan ODIs". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
- ^ "Shane Getkate and Conor Olphert fly out to Abu Dhabi to join squad". Cricket Ireland. Archived from the original on 29 August 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
- ^ "Afghanistan beat Ireland in warm-up". Cricket Europe. Archived from the original on 16 January 2021. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
- ^ "1st ODI: Debut century for Gurbaz gives Afghanistan edge against Ireland". Times of India. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
- ^ "AFG vs IRE: डेब्यू पर धमाका करना रहा है पुराना शौक, 19 साल के इस बल्लेबाज के बल्ले में बड़ी 'आग' है". TV9 Hindi. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
- ^ "Afghanistan move up in CWC Super League with series sweep over Ireland". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 26 January 2021.