The last time Ireland hosted the West Indies men’s team was six years ago, alongside Bangladesh, as part of both visitor’s preparation for the 2019 World Cup.

The tri-series is perhaps best remembered on these shores for the marmalising an experienced Irish bowling lineup took at the hands of John Campbell and Shai Hope, the pair sharing an ODI record 365 run opening stand at Clontarf.

The Windies return to the scene of the murder this week for a three-match ODI series against an Irish side riddled with injury. That 2019 bowling attack featured Tim Murtagh, Boyd Rankin and Kevin O’Brien; elder statesmen to say the least, the one gearing up for this week is packed with debutants and youngsters.

Who’s out, who’s fit?

The last ODI Ireland played was a 9 wicket loss to Zimbabwe in February, when they opened the bowling with Mark Adair, Graham Hume and Curtis Campher; all three have been ruled out of this series.

Adair is returning to fitness and expects to make the T20I leg, while Campher fractured a finger in the nets preparing for the 1st ODI.

Craig Young pulled his hamstring last week playing for the Warriors in the Interprovincial Cup and Fionn Hand is continuing his injury recovery and has yet to appear this season.

The pace stocks aren’t completely empty but they’re certainly looking threadbare. Josh Little and Barry McCarthy will be expected to lead the bowling attack, joined by two potential debutants in Tom Mayes and Liam McCarthy.

The two newbies have been expected to break into the side for a while but their own injuries have put paid to that over the last year, excellent performances for the Wolves and their domestic sides have kept both to the forefront of the picture however.

Liam McCarthy is certainly thought of as the fastest bowler in the country, a “point of difference” that this Ireland side is desperately in need of. Mayes meanwhile will extract bounce from almost any pitch, he looks a suitable replacement for the (very) large Boyd Rankin shaped hole in the attack.

With Adair and Campher out, an all-rounder is needed and Mayes has also stepped up in that department, making quick runs on the Wolves tour to Dubai. More recently he smacked 137 off just 88 balls for his club side Waringstown in the NCU Premier, powering 11 sixes along the way. That destructive hitting will be vital in an Ireland lineup that have been scoring slowly as of late.

That all-round ability means Mayes will probably get first go of the two, but McCarthy is certainly deserving of a run himself.

Like Dublin buses

Ireland have struggled to fill their top-order for a number of years now, a lack of quality openers forcing Andy Balbirnie to move up from the three spot, with Curtis Campher taking on the unfamiliar first-drop role. It’s been a case a square pegs in round holes, but suddenly the domestic scene is awash with openers.

Chris De Freitas, Sam Topping, Stephen Doheny, Cade Carmichael and Balbirnie himself have all scored hundreds opening in the Interprovincial Cup, taking advantage of the unseasonably good weather to make make hay.

Carmichael also made a red-ball hundred against Afghanistan A on the Wolves tour and finds himself catapulted into international reckoning. In all likelihood he may have only gotten one game in this series to show his abilities but the loss of Campher means he may instead slot into the number three position and get a full go.

Campher’s injury also brought Stephen Doheny back into the national squad, the Merrion man had a run in the side in 2023, scoring a solid 84 in Zimbabwe before being dropped following home and away series against Bangladesh, selectors citing a “technical flaw” in his batting.

Appearances have been sparse since then but a winter down under with Kensington seems to have done him good, being named in the SACA Premier Team of the Year. He may only be in the squad for injury cover but given what’s already happened, another cap wouldn’t come as a surprise.

The final Summer of Stirlo?
The burgeoning batting stocks have left one man in an awkward position, the captain Paul Stirling.

Ireland’s record caps holder has been struggling with consistency for a while now, enduring torrid times in the BPL and Abu Dhabi T10. Franchise opportunities seem to be winding down for the Belfast bruiser and the raft of younger men coming up behind him must have him concerned for his place.

His ODI form however hasn’t fallen off that badly, an 88 against South Africa and an 89 against Zimbabwe in the last year showed his class, but his ability to go on from those scores seems to be waning.

That 89 against Zimbabwe ended almost farcically with Stirling cramping up and unable to run, turning down singles and almost stalling out Ireland’s chase. Needless to say a 102 ball innings should not be doing that to a professional athlete.

All signs point to the 2027 World Cup as Stirling’s planned swansong, if Ireland even get to the tournament. His experience and captaincy are certainly vital to the side but the runs will have to flow this year to put any questions to bed.

Spin it to win it
Andy McBrine has been bounced all over this ODI side in recent years, his dependable but unspectacular batting has seen him open and bat at three, a “pinch-blocker” as Jarrod Kimber described him. The traditional off-spinner who doesn’t hit sixes is a particularly unsexy role in modern cricket and Ireland have tried everything to make him fit.

The emergence of Matthew Humphreys left-arm spin is certainly a challenge for the Donemana tweaker, the youngster lead Ireland to a Test match victory in Zimbabwe and looks a brilliant all-format prospect.

Another year may have seen them battle it out for a single spinning spot, but the warm weather, dry tracks and an inexperienced bowling unit means the man they call Scra will in all likelihood feature alongside his young compatriot.

Series schedule:
21 May: Ireland v West Indies  (1st ODI; Clontarf; start 10.45am)
23 May: Ireland v West Indies (2nd ODI; Clontarf; start 10.45am)
25 May: Ireland v West Indies (3rd ODI; Clontarf; start 10.45am)

Predicted XI: Stirling, Balbirnie, Carmichael, Tector, Tucker, Dockrell, McBrine, Mayes, B McCarthy, Humphreys, Little

This article first appeared here and is reproduce dby kind permission of the author https://open.substack.com/pub/carnivalcricket/p/how-will-injury-ridden-ireland-line