England’s NOTTINGHAM – Ireland wicket-keeper batter Lorcan Tucker discussed the team’s confidence levels, his most recent stint in the Caribbean Premier League, and the unique aspects of ODI cricket before the second One-Day International match against England at Trent Bridge.
Dublin-born Tucker, 27, will play in his 45th ODI on Saturday, and he’s optimistic about the two upcoming games:
“We’re playing pretty good cricket right now, we feel pretty good about ourselves, and it’s great to get to a new ground and see some dry conditions,” said the team. We have every member we require to provide some strong performances because we are fully staffed.
“Since the next World Cup won’t be for four years, we have plenty of time to get ready. We’re exploring new directions in our ODI cricket, so it’ll be an interesting moment.
“As for England, we didn’t want to focus too much on their squad because they consistently field strong squads. English cricket is incredibly powerful and deep right now; all of the players are strong, and the team is playing excellent cricket. We are relatively familiar with some of them, but they also have a lot of new players who we haven’t faced off against. I believe it will take some time for us to adjust as a team, but we must play some cricket tomorrow.
Lorcan Tucker recently came back after competing in the Caribbean Premier League:
“It was a brand-new, thrilling experience. It’s always energising to have these fresh insights and viewpoints from such seasoned individuals and cricket players, especially on oneself and how one’s game may advance and develop over the coming years. It was excellent.
Franchise cricket is incredibly exciting, so it will be interesting to see how the balance with international cricket develops over the next years. It’s fantastic that athletes like me and members of our squad have access to so many options. Everyone receives a new level of visibility that wasn’t previously available.
When asked about missing out on the World Cup in India next month, he said:
“To be honest, it feels like everyone else is getting ready for an event to which we are not invited, which is difficult. It is, nevertheless, what it is. In Zimbabwe, our performance wasn’t good enough. We will likely just be observers if we accept it.
Tucker said when asked why ODI cricket is held in such high regard:
Because there is only one World Cup every four years, it is unique and interesting. T20 cricket is played so frequently and has a T20 World Cup every two years. It moves along more quickly and is played so frequently in general. Because of this, I believe ODI cricket is unique because it offers a different, more thoughtful view on the game.
THE SERIES
After a washout at Headingley (Leeds), the last two matches are at Trent Bridge (Nottingham), and the Seat Unique Stadium (Bristol).
- 20 September: England Men v Ireland Men – 1st ODI (Match abandoned)
- 23 September: England Men v Ireland Men – 2nd ODI (Trent Bridge; start 11am)
- 26 September: England Men v Ireland Men – 3rd ODI (Bristol; start 12.30pm)
All three matches will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in both Ireland and the UK.
THE SQUADS
Ireland
- Paul Stirling (cap), Mark Adair, Andrew Balbirnie, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Graham Hume, Josh Little, Andy McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Neil Rock, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Theo van Woerkom, Craig Young.
England
- Zak Crawley (cap), Rehan Ahmed, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Sam Hain, Will Jacks, Craig Overton, Matthew Potts, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Phil Salt, George Scrimshaw, Jamie Smith, Luke Wood.
India
