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Ireland and South Africa Seek Redemption in Abu Dhabi
Ireland and South Africa Seek Redemption in Abu Dhabi
The two teams will face it out in a two-match T20I series at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
Last week, South Africa lost to Afghanistan in a men's white-ball game for the first time in six matches. It seemed like a fluke. But then, the next day, they lost again, and this time by an even bigger margin.
Taking a cue from Oscar Wilde, losing one game to a team you should beat might be bad luck; losing two could be seen as carelessness. So, the South African team knows they must take the upcoming two T20Is and three ODIs against Ireland in Abu Dhabi, from Friday to October 7, very seriously.
There is mitigation in the fact that the side who were beaten by six wickets and 177 runs in Sharjah last week were significantly under-strength. That's the reality of the T20 age - in fragile cricket economies like South Africa's, even contracted players cannot be compelled to prioritise the national team over franchises that pay better. Try to do so and at least some of those players are likely to retire from the international scene.
The squads for the two rubbers against the Irish are similarly lacking in resources. Only three of the XI who played in the T20 World Cup final in Barbados in June are in the 15 for these T20Is. The ODI squad is also weakened. But that won't take the edge off the backlash the South Africans will feel should they drop any of the five games. Certainly, it didn't spare them harsh criticism for the Afghan results.
Ireland’s solitary victory over South Africa in a dozen completed white-ball encounters - a 43-run win in an ODI at Malahide in July 2021 - adds to the mounting pressure. Notably, that match featured key players like David Miller, Keshav Maharaj, and Anrich Nortje, who are currently participating in the CPL, and Kagiso Rabada, who is being rested.
Aiden Markram’s team might find some solace in the fact that the Irish are also under significant pressure. Despite a strong start to the year, winning five of their first nine T20Is with victories over Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the Netherlands, Ireland faltered at the T20 World Cup, losing all three of their completed matches and crashing out in the first round. While losses to India and Pakistan were anticipated, the defeat by Canada, who defended a modest total of 137, was unexpected.
Both teams will be seeking redemption in Abu Dhabi, but only one can achieve it. The South Africans are acutely aware that they cannot afford a single loss.
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