IND vs IRE: We Have Got An Exciting Summer Lined Up - Ireland Coach Heinrich Malan

Ireland head coach Heinrich Malan is excited for the schedule-packed summer in front of their home crowd.

Ireland are set to host India, New Zealand, South Africa, and Afghanistan in white-ball fixtures in the coming months before they play in the T20 World Cup qualifiers in October.

It’s going to be a defining period for us as an international side: Heinrich Malan

The Andrew Balbirnie-led team will start with a two-match T20I series against India on June 26. South Africa-born Malan, who was appointed Ireland’s coach at the beginning of the year, said the upcoming matches will provide enough exposure to his team.

“Look, we’ve got an exciting summer lined up. It’s the most cricket that Ireland have ever played—from an international point of view—in their summer,” Malan told Cricket.com.

“So, really excited about next week this time, when we will have a full house outside of the Malahide for the first two games against India in the T20 format. It’s been a while since the boys have obviously played in front of people—and in front of full crowds.

“So yes, it’s bound to be an exciting little period for us. It’s going to be a defining period for us as an international side,” he added.

Things change quickly and you’ve got to be adaptable: Heinrich Malan

Ireland last played in the ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier 2022 (A group) against associated teams like Oman, UAE, Nepal and Germany.

Malan acknowledged the challenge his players will face against the full-time members will be completely different.

“Look, I guess that’s the fun part of international cricket. Things change quickly and you’ve got to be adaptable. We’ve been playing domestically—here, the interprovincial competition has been going on.

“So the boys have played a lot of cricket. But, in the same breath, the weather will play its part as well, which is always a part of the wonderful game of cricket,” the coach said.

“We know that the players that we’re going to compete against over the next six weeks have all played a lot of cricket—whether it’s been in the IPL or for the international teams. And I guess that’s the challenge for us.

“It’s understanding who we’re playing against and using that information but really putting the focus on the way that we want to go about our business—creating that attention—and then focus on the way that we operate and using the opposition analysis tool for us to make sure that we can try and get there as quickly as we can,” Malan added.

Ireland will play against India in the first T20I match on June 26 at The Village in Dublin.

Also Read: IND vs IRELAND T20 Schedule 2022, Squads, Venues, Live Streaming And Live Telecast Details