PAUL STIRLING will lead an under strength Ireland team against West Indies in the first of three one-day internationals at Clontarf today, knowing the odds are not in favour of him adding to his personal successes against the visitors.

The now 34-year-old was top scorer with 92 when the Boys in Green defeated the Windies at the 2015 World Cup and he skippered Ireland to a first series win in the Caribbean when Andy Balbirnie tested positive for Covid in early 2021.

But with key all-rounders Mark Adair and Curtis Campher missing through injury, and veteran seamer Craig Young also sidelined with a damaged hamstring, their inexperienced replacements will find it tough on a small ground against a strong West Indies side.

“You have to look at the positive side of it,” Stirling said. “The new faces will bring fresh energy and we’ll see what strength we have underneath the first team to put pressure on the older faces like me.

"We’re slight underdogs for most games we play, but not as much as in the past, and our depth is improving each year, so it’s great to play series like this to see where you are."

The West Indies play five ODIs against England starting next week and will use the Clontarf games to fine tune their preparations.

“It's not just a series against us where teams might play a few new faces or a slightly less strong side,” Stirling said.

“They're playing England next week, so they've brought their full squad and that's a big challenge because they won’t be holding anything back.”

The skipper is still hungry to add to his Ireland record of 5,925 runs after a month off, and a very quiet season of international cricket scheduled — just six more white-ball games.

“If I wasn't batting in front of the mirror at home that would be a sign that maybe I'm not as keen any more, but I'm still hungry and fixtures like this are brilliant,” he said.