Andrew Balbirnie back among the cavalry as Ireland push forward with their new T20 identity

Ireland’s schedule offers little time for individual reflection. Two qualifying events this summer defined their season, one for the 50-over World Cup in Zimbabwe, the other for the T20 equivalent in Scotland just weeks later.

The former went almost as badly as could have been predicted, Ireland finishing seventh out of 10 teams, well out of the top two slots that ensured progression to this year’s tournament in India. That disappointment led to then captain Andrew Balbirnie resigning after nearly four years and 89 matches in charge. Just like that, Paul Stirling took over as Ireland immediately moved on to last month’s T20 qualifiers, avoiding double disaster as they booked their place in the 2024 short format event.

A small press release at the announcement aside, Balbirnie has not spoken publicly since stepping down. He was still in the side in Scotland, showing a return to form of sorts after a run of low scores in Zimbabwe. Ahead of India visiting Malahide for a three-game T20 series starting on Friday (3pm start, live on TNT Sports), Balbirnie finally has time for reflection.

If anything else, late nights with his son born less than a fortnight ago, have offered plenty of time for reflecting on his captaincy era, something he says was “the proudest thing I have done as a cricketer.”

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On the downbeat note he ended his leadership tenure, Balbirnie says he won’t be losing any sleep over failing to qualify. “I’ll lose sleep over something else at the moment,” he jokes on the eve of the India series. “I have had chances to do my homework because I’m up late a fair bit, I’m certainly well prepped going into this week but I’m just excited to go out and play.

“The number of times throughout the years you’ve heard about different captains having to resign and it becomes a bit of a weight off the shoulders, and I suppose there is that, it’s only natural to have that. You step away from the job because you feel your time is up and it’s someone else’s turn.

“Going forward, I still want to be seen as a leader in my own right but certainly first and foremost I need to score runs.”

As captain, Balbirnie was always a fascinating character. His ups always seemed to be the highest of the highs, while his drops in form were accompanied by more doomsday chatter than those of any other player. Of his more positive moments with the bat, in short form cricket, half-centuries against India and England last year stand out, as does his World Cup knock against West Indies that set up a comfortable qualifying win.

Indeed, Balbrinie says that the West indies win and the comeback over Scotland that preceded just 48 hours before, results that ensured Ireland reached the competition’s main phase where they would go on to beat England, were the highlights of his tenure: “Those three days in Hobart were pretty special.”

[ Andrew Balbirnie: ‘It’s surreal to beat the best T20 team in the world’ ]

But the lows did baffle. Against South Africa, in the midst of the 2022 summer where Balbirnie did put in some career-best displays, at times, in his own words, “I couldn’t hit the ball off the square.”

Yet for all the criticism, Balbirnie was always more thick skinned than most. “It’s just part and parcel of the game,” he says. “It’s like rugby, like football, so many people around the world have different opinions and everyone’s entitled to their opinion.

“Someone might say something, I might not necessarily get the chance to disagree with them. If it’s in a press conference and someone makes a statement about a player of mine, I can say ‘well that’s fine but this is what I think.’ That’s healthy. At the end of the day it’s just sport, it’s not life or death. If people are talking about Irish cricket, at home or abroad, that’s good.”

While welcoming the opinions of external onlookers, Balbirnie was never shy of giving his own. Renowned as an outspoken critic of infrastructural issues hampering cricket in Ireland, he says he won’t stop speaking out even though he is no longer in charge. “I think that it’s important that whenever the opportunity comes out that I’m honest.

“The men’s team and the women’s team are the most important parts of the organisation because if they don’t perform then the rest of the organisation’s going to struggle, we’re not going to get funding and we’re not going to get games.

[ Andrew Balbirnie hopes facilities can improve for young cricketers in Ireland ]

“I might get in trouble sometimes but that’s the way it goes. I’m always willing to speak my mind.”

For now, the priority is scoring more runs against this weekend’s visitors. Last year, a narrow four-run defeat to India in Malahide signalled the start of Ireland’s T20 rejuvenation, vindication that a more aggressive approach would get them closer to the big teams.

Balbirnie was in charge of overseeing that shift in attitude. Now, with his good friend Stirling in command, Balbirnie is back among the cavalry, but at the top of the order he will still lead the way as Ireland push forward with their new T20 identity.