Paul Stirling and his Ireland team landed in Colombo last night with a week to finalise preparations before their crucial opening T20 World Cup match against hosts Sri Lanka on Sunday.

A successful training camp in Dubai was rounded off on Saturday evening with a second victory over the United Arab Emirates, as Curtis Campher followed his 25 in the first game with a decisive 51 not out to help the Boys in Green to a 30-run win.

Campher’s form after returning from injury and George Dockrell’s renaissance as a slow bowler — the left-armer took a combined 4-42 from 11 overs in the last three games — has given the Ireland selectors wriggle room to include Ben Calitz as a wildcard.

The hard-hitting left-hander is clearly in the World Cup frame having played all five games in Dubai, and could be the disruptor in the lower middle order to upset Sri Lanka, or Australia three days later.

It would seem that Ireland will have to win one of those two games, and also beat Oman and Zimbabwe to progress from what is the toughest of the four groups.

Allowing for injuries, expect this line-up in the opener: Paul Stirling, Ross Adair, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Campher, Calitz, Dockrell, Gareth Delany, Mark Adair, Matthew Humphreys and Josh Little.