Coach Malan highlights team’s ‘real progress’ as Ireland target series win against Bangladesh

Chattogram, Dec 1 (IANS) Ireland head coach Heinrich Malan reflected on the team’s performance against Bangladesh in the ongoing T20I series and said the players have made clear strides despite limited cricket in recent months. Ireland head into the decisive third T20I against Bangladesh with renewed confidence after a strong start to the series in Chattogram and a near-miss in the second match.

The touring side opened with an emphatic 39-run victory before Bangladesh clawed back in a tense finish to level the contest, setting up a high-stakes finale as both teams sharpen their preparations for the T20 World Cup in 2026.

Malan believes that the back-and-forth nature of the ongoing T20I series has been invaluable for the team’s long-term plans. Speaking to the media ahead of the fixture, he said, “When we started this series, we were clear that it was part of our T20 World Cup build-up. We obviously haven’t had the amount of cricket that we would have wanted throughout the year, but that’s in the past. We’re now just focusing on where we’re at.”

“We’ve shown some real progress over the last two games. There’s a lot that we did really, really well over the last two games, and there are a few areas that we always look at that we want to try and improve on,” he added.

Malan emphasised the clarity of Ireland’s approach across the opening fixtures, noting that the side has embraced a more expressive form of T20 cricket in line with the sport’s rapid evolution.

“In the first two games, we’ve really shown the clarity of thought that we’ve put into it, the process that we’re looking for. The T20 game has evolved massively over the last little period, and I think we’ve identified that we want to free our players up to go out there and express themselves – and I think we’ve seen that in the last week. We’ve got a nice opportunity at training this afternoon to put some work into that space and then come out here tomorrow and hopefully build on what we’ve done in the first two games,” he stated.

With the World Cup starting on February 7 next year, Ireland hope their increasing determination and confidence will sustain through the tournament, where they are placed in Group B with Australia, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, and Oman. Their first match is against Sri Lanka in Colombo on February 8.

As the series decider approaches, Ireland view it as both a chance for a bold victory and an opportunity to establish the fearless identity they aim to showcase on the international stage.

–IANS

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