ICC T20 WC: Relishing challenge of bowling on spin-friendly wickets, says Ireland spinner Dockrell

The extent of cricket that is being played in the UAE is likely to cause more wear and tear on the pitches as the T20 World Cup approaches. And Ireland spinner George Dockrell realises this very fact and the seasoned pro is relishing the challenge of bowling in conditions where he would be expected to deliver for his side.

By Vishesh Roy The extent of cricket that is being played in the UAE is likely to cause more wear and tear on the pitches as the T20 World Cup approaches. And Ireland spinner George Dockrell realises this very fact and the seasoned pro is relishing the challenge of bowling in conditions where he would be expected to deliver for his side.

Ireland is placed in Group A of the Qualifying Stages for the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup alongside Sri Lanka, Netherlands, and Namibia. The top two sides from the group will qualify for the Super 12 Stages. "Yeah, a lot of cricket has been played in the UAE last year. All the kind of rescheduling of the tournaments and tournaments which have come here which were not previously planned. The pitches have been used a bit and it does bring spin into the game. It is exciting for spinners. I guess the T20 World Cup was previously planned in India which would have offered even more assistance to spinners," Dockrell told ANI in an interaction organised by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

"It is something we were aware of and building it into our game. But again, you have to kind of adapt to every pitch on the day. We will see what kind of wickets we get in every match, it will be about adapting, and hopefully, we can do well," added the 29-year-old, who has 76 T20I wickets to his name. When asked whether he will be under pressure to perform on pitches that suit his style, Dockrell said: "I think if you come upon spinning wickets, it is a good thing as it gives you a bit of assistance. You have to enjoy it, when you get assistance out of the pitch, you need to relish that challenge. Coming up against great players, you still need to bowl well. Adapting well to the pitch and doing well as per the conditions will hold the key."

Paul Stirling has now made his name as one of the most attacking batters in world cricket, and the Ireland spinner realises that the right-handed batter will hold the key if Ireland is to post challenging totals in the upcoming marquee event. "Paul Stirling is obviously a huge player for us. The experience he has, the way he has played match-winning innings game after game has been incredible really. It is fantastic, he has got a huge amount of experience. He played in The Hundred recently and he did well. It helps us a lot, he can get the innings off to a good start for us, so he is a big player for us and hopefully, he can continue with the form he has shown," said Dockrell.

Replying to which batter he is looking forward to bowl to in the T20 World Cup, Dockrell said: "I will say all of them. We are going to come up against some great cricketers in the first stage. We will play against Netherlands, Namibia and Sri Lanka. I am just looking forward to the contest." Ireland will kickstart its campaign in the showpiece event against the Netherlands on October 18 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium. The next two games against Sri Lanka and Namibia will be played on October 20 and October 22. (ANI)

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