T20 World Cup 2021, Warm-up Match 1: Ireland v Papua New Guinea probable 11s, pitch report, weather forecast, match prediction and live streaming details

The warm-up matches for the ICC T20 World Cup start on October 12. The first match sees Ireland square off against Papua New Guinea at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium Nursery 1 in Abu Dhabi.

Ireland participated in the UAE Summer Bash 2021 recently but didn’t have the best of times.

After getting off to a winning start against UAE, they lost the following two games against the same opposition. The Irish side needs to get the right combination ahead of the Qualifiers.

Kevin O’Brien was good with the bat for them and was well supported by Paul Stirling. But the middle order needs to fire to challenge the opposition in the Qualifiers.

The bowlers have struggled to pick up wickets in the last few games, and they need to deliver on the biggest stage. There are some seasoned campaigners on their side, and their experience will come in handy.

Papua New Guinea are struggling as they have lost 16 ODIs in a row and have followed it up with two more losses in the UAE Summer T20 Bash 2021. They need to be at their best when they face top teams in the Qualifiers.

Skipper Assad Vala and Tony Ura looked good in their recent matches. However, the other batters need to contribute to challenging the top sides.

The bowlers have looked off-color as they have failed to pick up wickets regularly, which has resulted in the opposition scoring bigger totals. An uphill task awaits them, and they will be looking to change their fortunes ahead of the global event.

Match Details

Match: Ireland vs Papua New Guinea

Date and Time: October 12, 2021, Tuesday, 7:30 PM IST

Venue: Sheikh Zayed Stadium Nursery 1, Abu Dhabi

Weather Report

Clear skies will greet both sides on Tuesday. The temperature in Abu Dhabi is expected to range between 29 and 38 degrees Celsius.

Pitch Report

The pitch at Sheikh Zayed Stadium Nursery 1 is a bit on the slower side. It will assist the spinners from both sides. The batters need to be patient early on in their innings.

Predicted Playing XIs

Ireland

The Irish side look like a well-balanced unit but have failed to deliver in their last few games. Everyone needs to fire in unison and get their preparations right ahead of the T20 World Cup Qualifiers.

Predicted XI: Paul Stirling, Kevin O’Brien, Gareth Delany, Andrew Balbirnie (c), Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Neil Rock (wk), Simi Singh, Benjamin White, Joshua Little, Craig Young

Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea are struggling at the moment and need something dramatic to get back to winning ways. They have to change their fortunes and find the right combination in the warm-up games.

Predicted XI: Assad Vala (c), Tony Ura, Charles Amini, Sese Bau, Norman Vanua, Simon Atai, Kiplin Doriga (wk), Jason Kila, Nosaina Pokana, Chad Soper, Damien Ravu

Match Prediction

Both sides have lost their last few matches and need to turn the tables around with a global event approaching. The warm-up games provide a great opportunity for both sides to adapt to the conditions and find the right combination.

Ireland look strong on paper and expect them to go past Papua New Guinea unscathed.