Harare trip should prove perfect preparation for World Cup qualifiers

It's a World Cup year for the Ireland women’s cricket team, and they are looking to hit the ground running with an eight-match schedule set to kick-off in Zimbabwe next week.

Back from their two-week break for Christmas and the New Year, captain Laura Delany and the rest of Ed Joyce’s squad returned to freezing Irish conditions to get prepped for a trip to the southern hemisphere.

First up in Harare is a three-match ODI (One Day International) series against the hosts, followed by a quick-fire, five-game T20 series in preparation for the vital World Cup qualifiers.

This year’s T20 World Cup takes place in Bangladesh in September and October, however, Ireland will need to reach the final of the 10-team Abu Dhabi qualification competition that is set to take place in April or May.

Ireland look set to go into that tournament as the second-highest ranked side, after Sri Lanka, however, with recent opponents, Scotland, and upcoming games against Zimbabwe – who will also be in the UAE – providing similar levels of competitiveness, World Cup qualification is far-from guaranteed.

Ireland played Scotland twice in October at a warm-weather training camp in Spain, winning one and losing one, however, they comfortably won all three ODIs played between the two nations in Almeria.

The Irish side will now be looking to emulate the men’s team who recently enjoyed a series win in Harare, and those fixtures have proved quite resourceful ahead of the upcoming series.

"Having watched the men play in Harare, which is where we will be playing, the wickets look a little more used and possibly not as fresh, so we are going to have to adjust when we get there," said Delany, speaking to the media ahead of the squad’s departure to Zimbabwe.

"But that is