Ireland Women’s Cricket Team Approaches Bangladesh Series with Confidence

Captain Gaby Lewis of Ireland expressed her belief that the team approaches their upcoming series against Bangladesh with “great confidence,” following their victory over England in September. Lewis was appointed captain in October. The Irish squad is set to commence its six-match tour on Wednesday at Dhaka’s Sher-e-Bangla Stadium, beginning with the first of three One Day Internationals (ODIs) against Bangladesh. This will be followed by a three-match T20 series. This tour marks their initial competitive match since their historic first T20 win against England in September. Lewis conveyed her anticipation to BBC Sport NI, stating, “I’m really looking forward to this series and we’re really looking forward, hopefully, to dominating it.” The T20 triumph by Ireland against England, secured by a five-wicket margin, marked a significant milestone for Ireland women’s cricket. This achievement is expected to bolster the team’s confidence as they face Bangladesh, a team ranked ninth in T20 games, one position higher than Ireland. Lewis’s appointment as permanent Ireland captain in October followed an interim period where she took over from Laura Delany. Delany, who had served as captain since 2016, sustained an ankle injury during a T20 series against Sri Lanka in August, which led to Lewis assuming the captaincy for the series against Sri Lanka and England. Lewis articulated her conviction that Irish women’s cricket might be entering a new phase, prompted by their notable victory two months prior. She commented, “With the change of leadership, it’s a really exciting time going into a new championship cycle.” Lewis added, “We had great confidence from the summer so we’re really looking forward to this series and it’s great to have Laura back from injury and Uma Raymond-Hoey back and a few changes to the ODI squad. So really looking forward to the series and getting started out here.” The shift in leadership, as Lewis indicated, contributes to what she perceives as a new beginning for the Irish women’s national team. For the 23-year-old, receiving the captaincy for her nation represents a lifelong honor, and she believes she is capable of fulfilling the role. She reflected, “Growing up as a little girl I think it wasn’t really something that I thought of, it was just playing for Ireland. “Having got a chance to lead in domestic and the youth stuff, it’s definitely something I felt natural doing and I saw myself doing.” Laura Delany previously served as the captain of the Ireland women’s team. Lewis acknowledged her predecessors as mentors as she assumes her new position. She stated, “Having Laura as such a role model and learning off her and having the likes of Izzy Joyce as well, playing under those two has been great, and I look up to them hugely. “Having Laura on the team, she’ll be great to work with and be there to share advice and her experience as well will be crucial in these conditions.” Lewis expressed her conviction that the two teams possess comparable strengths. She elaborated, “I think it’s a team we’ve come neck to neck with over the last 10 years, especially in qualifying tournaments. “Seeing how far we’ve come over the last year, I’m really looking forward to this series.” Ireland Women ODI Squad: Gaby Lewis (captain) (Phoenix), Ava Canning (Leinster), Christina Coulter Reilly (Clontarf), Laura Delany (Leinster), Sarah Forbes (Pembroke), Amy Hunter (Instonians/Malahide), Arlene Kelly (Malahide), Aimee Maguire (The Hills), Jane Maguire (The Hills), Cara Murray (Waringstown/Clontarf), Leah Paul (Merrion), Orla Prendergast (Pembroke), Una Raymond-Hoey (Ringwood), Freya Sargent (Clontarf), Alice Tector (Phoenix). Ireland Women T20 Squad: Gaby Lewis (captain) (Phoenix), Ava Canning (Leinster), Christina Coulter Reilly (Clontarf), Laura Delany (Leinster), Sarah Forbes (Pembroke), Amy Hunter (Instonians/Malahide), Arlene Kelly (Malahide), Aimee Maguire (The Hills), Jane Maguire (The Hills), Cara Murray (Waringstown/Clontarf), Leah Paul (Merrion), Orla Prendergast (Pembroke), Una Raymond-Hoey (Ringwood), Freya Sargent (Clontarf), Rebecca Stokell (Merrion).