Former Ireland cricket international Alan Lewis has warned against underestimating the West Indies in the Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Ireland’s World Cup campaign will involve playing six games in Group B against the Windies, UAE, South Africa, Zimbabwe, India and Pakistan.
Lewis, now a rugby referee, believes that Ireland will have to win three of those games to progress to the quarter-final stage.
A series defeat to South Africa, in which the hosts notched a number of world records in the second game, has compounded the problems the West Indies have had in the build-up to the tournament and given Ireland hope of causing another shock on the biggest stage.
Lewis feels Ireland can realistically target a place in the knockout stage and the clash with Jason Holder's team will be a key game.
He told RTÉ Sport: “To get to the quarter-finals we’ll probably have to win three games. UAE and Zimbabwe will be the most likely targets and then nick it off one of the Test-playing nations, the West Indies are in something of a disarray. That’s the way you've got to think about.
“One of the focuses, having been at the last World Cup, is that we largely competed in every game, that was a significant thing for me.â€
However, he did caution against taking things for granted.
“It can be a danger going into that game with the West Indies thinking they’re going to lie down.
“It can be a difficult thing, yes, it looks from the outside that they are in a bit of disarray, but I suppose Ireland will have to look after their own kilter.
“It looks to me as if wickets are going to be the big thing in terms of run-saving. I think all the sides are looking that way and I think on wickets. The bounce maybe, even with some of the firepower that we have, I think that the Asian teams are struggling more with the bouncing ball than others.
“Ultimately, I think we’re going to have to win three games to qualify and that’s obviously the aim and objective of the team.â€
Lewis also had words of sympathy for bowler Tim Murtagh, who has been ruled out of the World Cup with a foot fracture he suffered in training.
“It’s a great disappointment for Tim to go out in such difficult circumstances. He’s a guy who is a regular 60 first-class wickets a season. He hadn’t played a huge amount of cricket but I think they saw a big role for him Tim at the World Cup but there’s great competition in that area,†Lewis said.
The former Ireland all-rounder believes that Max Sorenson can be a more than adequate replacements for Murtagh in the Irish squad.
“Like anything in sport, one man’s lose is another man’s gain,†he said.
“Max, having been left out of the squad, has reacted really well, he has that experience, he’s done it before in big tournaments so hopefully he can fill the boots.â€
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