IRELAND are buoyant going into their crucial World Cup qualifiers this weekend in Amstelveen, near Amsterdam.

The three-day thrashing of the Netherlands has set Phil Simmons’s men up for the games – and wins tomorrow (SUNDAY) and Tuesday will see them through to the ICC World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in early 2015.

“Without a doubt these matches are the most crucial we'll play this year”, said Simmons.

“While it's always fantastic to have fixtures against Full Members, qualification for global tournaments is the main goal.

“It's vital we keep performing on the world stage and show everyone just how far Irish cricket has come.”

The county players who were not released for the Intercontinental Cup all joined up with the squad yesterday, with Niall O’Brien tweeting at 4.30am from East Midlands airport, “Early start but looking forward 2 games in the Dam and helping Ireland to 6th World Cup #aus2015.”

“It's no secret that I like having seasoned players freshened up with a sprinkling of youth”, said Simmons.

“We have a settled squad now with most of the players having played at least 100 times. They are used to handling pressure having played in World Cups and that will stand them in good stead”, he added.

The Dutch have made changes too, bringing in dangerous batsman Stephan Myburgh and the experienced Mudassar Bukhari, Daan van Bunge and Edgar Schieferli – the latter recalled age 37 three years after his last cap.


Ireland (from): William Porterfield (capt, Warwickshire, 161 caps), Alex Cusack (Clontarf, 136), George Dockrell (Somerset & Trinity, 83), Trent Johnston (YMCA, 184), Ed Joyce (Sussex, 92), John Mooney (North County, 140), Tim Murtagh (Middlesex, 8), Kevin O'Brien (Railway Union, 194), Niall O'Brien (Leicestershire, 133), James Shannon (Instonians, 9), Max Sorensen (The Hills, 26), Paul Stirling (Middlesex, 118), Andrew White (Instonians, 223), Gary Wilson (Surrey, 144).

Holland (from): Peter Borren (capt), Wesley Barresi (wk), Mudassar Bukhari, Daan van Bunge, Tom Cooper, Ahsan Malik, Paul van Meekeren, Stephan Myburgh, Michael Rippon, Edgar Schiferli, Pieter Seelaar, Michael Swart, Eric Szwarczynski.