IRE vs PAK Preview: Team Analysis

Strengths and weaknesses of Ireland Men’s Team

Ireland’s biggest strength is that they have liberty to play each and every match freely. They are the underdogs and hence, they do not have any pressure to prove themselves. Each and every outing of theirs will add value to their skill. The primary task of this team is to enjoy the sport and to execute what they have learnt, hence, the players can gain a lot of insights.

However, their weakness could be lack of experience. They might not be able to tackle the situation in tough conditions. Also, due to lack of exposure, they do not have enough match winners in the squad.

Strengths and weaknesses of Pakistan Men’s Team

Pakistan men’s team has the finest bowling line up. Their medium pacers, like,   Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah do not allow the batsman to breathe as their back to back overs are filled with fire. They are aggressive and often prefer to bowl with lethal pace.

West Indies Cricket squad for the T20 World Cup 2024

However, one of the weaknesses of this side is that they over rely on their two key batsmen- Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman. If these two fail, not much responsibility is taken by the middle order batters.

IRE vs PAK Preview: Head to Head Record

Both the teams have faced each other just once in a T20I match. In which, Pakistan won the game.

Injuries and Suspensions

Mohammad Amir hasn’t received the visa yet, hence, he won’t be available for the first T20. All other players are fresh and ready to play the game.

Venue and Weather Condition

The match between Ireland and Pakistan will be played at Clontarf Cricket Club, Dublin. The ground has a capacity of 3,200 people.

Total 5 T20I had been held in this ground , out of which, the team batting second won 4 times. The pitch isn’t totally flat, it provides good support to bowlers.  The highest T20 score in this ground is 153.

IRE vs PAK Preview: Managerial Tactics

Pakistan will be touring for a 3 match T20 series against Ireland. In their first match, they will play with their best XI so that they can test their combinations for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

South Africa 15 Men Squad for T20 World Cup 2024

Similarly, Ireland will also try to bring their best foot forward. They will get to learn a lot from the opponent’s side and this will give them good match exposure too.

Key Matchups

Batsman	Bowler	Runs	Wickets	Strike Rate
Paul Stirling	Shaheen Afridi	16	1	123.1
Babar Azam	Barry McCarthy	2	1	100.0
Paul Stirling	Naseem Shah	10	1	250.0

Recent Form

Pakistan recently had a five match T20 series with New Zealand. Both the teams won two-two matches and one match had no result. So, the team looks in fine touch. They changed their opening pair too, as Saim Ayub was seen opening with Babar Azam. Rest of the squad looked pretty much similar.

Historical Context

Pakistan is an established team which has made a huge impact in international cricket over the years. They are a test nation and one of the toughest sides in the circuit. They have a huge legacy and the present lot of players are following that footprint too. They have won the World Cup in 1992, T20 World Cup in 2009 and Champions Trophy in 2017.

Ireland was declared as a test nation in 2017 and they played the first test against Pakistan in May 2018. Cricket is growing at a steady pace here and players are stepping up on occasions to win matches for Ireland.

Fans and Atmosphere

The match will be played in Dublin and hence it is expected that spectators will come to support their national team, Ireland. The capacity of the ground will be small, due to which the crowd atmosphere won’t play a major role in deciding the course of the game.

IRE vs PAK Preview: Winner Prediction and Analysis

Pakistan are more likely to win the match as they look a more solid team. They have better batting and bowling line up and hence their chances of winning the game are brighter.