Stirling expects 'nothing held back' in West Indies series

Ireland skipper Paul Stirling says location will beryllium "nothing held back" successful his side's one-day bid against West Indies successful Dublin this week.

The Irish will big West Indies successful Clontarf connected Wednesday, Friday and Sunday earlier 3 T20 contests against nan aforesaid opponents successful Bready adjacent month.

The 2 white-ball bid will beryllium West Indies' first games successful Ireland since 2019, and Stirling expects a full-throttle situation from nan tourists, who look England successful betwixt their 2 trips to Ireland.

"I deliberation erstwhile they bookend a circuit against america and England, they ever bring their strongest broadside and that's very pleasing," nan 34-year-old opener told BBC Sport NI.

"It's not conscionable a bid against us, wherever teams tin play a fewer caller faces aliases somewhat little strong, they're playing England successful 5 ODIs adjacent week, truthful they've brought their afloat squad and that's nan large challenge.

"We've sewage nan West Indies squad that will look England truthful location will beryllium thing held back."

Ireland secured a 2-1 ODI bid triumph complete West Indies successful June 2022 earlier an eye-catching T20 World Cup triumph complete nan aforesaid opponents successful Hobart later that year, which was their astir caller meeting.

Stirling is hoping his broadside tin get disconnected to a bully commencement successful Dublin connected Wednesday arsenic they pursuit different large win.

"They ever bring a flavour to nan games and usually immoderate big-hitting truthful hopefully we tin negate that and commencement well," he added.

"That's nan lawsuit for america erstwhile you get a touring broadside coming complete into these conditions which they're not needfully utilized to from nan Caribbean, to commencement good and put them nether unit early and spot if we tin support that passim nan day."

Despite being 1 of nan older members of nan squad, Stirling admits that ODIs against nan West Indies still excite him, and that he is not yet contemplating retirement.

"I deliberation I realised erstwhile I person a period off, I find myself going into nan shed and picking up nan cricket bat and I deliberation that is simply a really bully motion for maine personally," he explained.

"I cognize if I wasn't batting successful beforehand of nan reflector astatine location that would beryllium a motion that possibly I'm not arsenic keen, but I'm still quiet and fixtures for illustration this are brilliant."

As captain, Stirling will beryllium tasked pinch helping uncapped trio Cade Carmichael, Tom Mayes and Liam McCarthy settled into nan squad.

They person been included alongside Jordan Neill and Stephen Doheny, who were precocious call-ups for nan injured Craig Young, Curtis Campher, pinch Mark Adair, Graham Hume and Fionn Hand besides ruled out.

The Belfast autochthonal hopes that Ireland tin compete contempt their spate of injures and that nan injection of caller players tin thief create squad depth.

"You person to look astatine nan affirmative broadside of it, caller faces and caller power and spot what's underneath nan first squad itself and put immoderate unit connected aged faces for illustration me.

"There's nary logic why we shouldn't beryllium competing passim nan 50 overs successful some innings. There's nary unit connected anyone coming in. If you're connected your debut, you've sewage nan state to play your ain game.

"You are flimsy underdogs for astir games you play but not arsenic overmuch arsenic truthful successful nan past and our extent is improving each year, truthful this is ever nan situation to play a broadside for illustration nan West Indies to spot wherever you are."

May

21 1st ODI, Clontarf

Play starts astatine 10:45

Scorecard

23 2nd ODI, Clontarf (10:45)

25 3rd ODI, Clontarf (10:45)

West Indies past tour England betwixt 29 May and 10 June, playing 3 ODIs and 3 Twenty20 internationals, earlier returning to Ireland.

June

12 1st Twenty20 international, Bready (11:00)

14 2nd Twenty20 international, Bready (11:00)

15 3rd Twenty20 international, Bready (11:00)