Wilson targets Namibia series win as Ireland build towards World Cup qualifiers

Ireland head coach Gary Wilson insists victory remains the priority as his side begins a five-match ODI series against Namibia on Thursday, although the Belfast man admits there are some important selection questions to answer ahead of February’s World Cup qualifiers.

Ireland arrived in Windhoek looking to bounce back from their disappointing 4-0 series defeat by Afghanistan, with Wilson determined to strike the right balance between delivering results and developing a relatively inexperienced bowling attack.

The former international wicketkeeper has selected a 16-man squad for the trip, with several players hoping to establish themselves in the team ahead of the crucial qualifying campaign.

"I think it's fair to say that we'll use the squad that's here, but we'll certainly be trying to win the games as well," said Wilson. "Obviously we have an eye on the qualifiers and it is about building towards that, but ultimately these are one-day internationals in their own right as well."

Wilson expects some rotation throughout the series, although he stressed that supporters should not necessarily regard the combinations used in Namibia as an indication of his preferred World Cup qualifying XI.

"Different players have different objectives on this trip, some more off the field and some more on it. I do expect there will be some rotation and different bowlers used, but I wouldn't read too much into what you see here as to what you might see in three or four months in the qualifiers. We do have the goal of winning the series. That is without doubt."

One particularly intriguing aspect of Ireland's approach will be the balance of their spin attack, with Andy McBrine, Gavin Hoey and Matthew Humphreys all in contention. Wilson believes conditions in Namibia could favour the slower bowlers, having studied the recent ODI tri-series played there.

"We had a good look at the ODI tri-series here and there was a fair amount of frontline spin bowled. We've picked three frontline spinners and I think there's probably a tell in that. We've looked at the surface and it doesn't look like there's a huge amount of grass on it, so there will definitely be times when we look to play combinations of different spinners."

The former Ireland captain is particularly enthusiastic about the wicket-taking potential of Pembroke leg-spinner Hoey, who impressed during the Afghanistan series. He believes Hoey can operate successfully alongside the vastly experienced McBrine rather than the pair necessarily competing for one position.

"I think Gav, for a leg-spinner, is incredibly accurate. They can complement each other and I think they can play in the same side. But I don't see any reason why we can't be looking at Matthew Humphreys in that as well. We've spoken at length about wanting some mystery through the middle overs, genuine wicket-taking threats with wicket-taking balls. Most top-class ODI sides have a wrist-spinner who can change the game on a surface that's slightly less favourable for spinners."

Wilson acknowledged that Afghanistan exposed some shortcomings in Ireland's game, particularly their inability to sustain promising periods of play and consistently break substantial partnerships. However, he was quick to acknowledge the quality of the opposition.

"We showed positives with the bat and ball and actually in the field as the series went on. We probably just didn't do it for long enough. Afghanistan showed that at the minute they're probably slightly ahead of us. They're a very, very good side, quite possibly the second-best side in Asia in my opinion. They were able to put on huge partnerships and had massive wicket-taking options through the middle. We didn't quite have the answers for that."

The forthcoming Ireland Wolves tour to Zimbabwe will also play an important part in Wilson's preparations, with no fewer than nine of the senior squad involved. Wilson will travel with the Wolves alongside spin coach Chris Brown and Scott Irvine, giving him another opportunity to assess players before finalising his qualifying plans.

"We understand it's an inexperienced bowling attack in the majority, but there's a reason we've picked the bowlers who are here. We've also got some experienced guys going on the Wolves trip and we want to allow those guys to put their best foot forward too."

Ireland are scheduled to play in Pakistan in the New Year ahead of those qualifiers, but doubts have surfaced about the composition of the exact format of the tour, with the Test match rumoured to be scrapped. Zimbabwe were also due to be part of a tri-series with them, but that too looks to have fallen by the wayside.

Whatever happens, Ireland will look to end a 12-year absence from the World Cup when they enter the cut throat arena of a World Cup qualification tournament.

This trip will be an important part of their preparations for that.