Hong Kong Sixes 2018 - Discussion Thread

[Abdullah719]

DUBLIN – Cricket Ireland has accepted an invitation to send a team to the 2018 Hong Kong Sixes competition to be held at the Kowloon Cricket Club from 26 to 28 October 2018.

The Hong Kong Sixes is an annual international cricket event, featuring teams of six-a-side playing in a round-robin tournament with knock-out stages. The event, played across three days, is hosted by Cricket Hong Kong and is ICC-sanctioned.

Ireland last competed in the Hong Kong Sixes in 2011, where they made the Quarter Finals, defeating England and Bangladesh along the way. The side, led by Kevin O’Brien, were knocked out by eventual tournament champions Pakistan. The 2011 squad included current internationals Kevin and Niall O’Brien, Paul Stirling and George Dockrell.

Despite being a distinctly modified and condensed version of the game, Richard Holdsworth, Performance Director at Cricket Ireland, outlined the value to the Ireland squad participating in the tournament:

“We are continuing our approach of providing opportunities for a wider pool of players to gain experience in white-ball cricket on the international stage. With around 12 months to go to the ICC World T20 qualifiers, we are looking to build a competitive squad for that qualification stage and hopefully to propel us into the main tournament in 2020.”

“There is no denying that T20 cricket is the format of the game we have struggled with over recent years, so the Hong Kong Sixes will be used as a chance for selected members of the squad to refine their game in a condensed version, and will give Head Coach Graham Ford a chance to assess players in differing conditions.”

Selectors will meet in late August and select a seven-man squad to fly out to Hong Kong in October.

 

[ChuckLee]

Remember when I was like 12/13 and Umar Akmal set this place on fire. What a batsman.

 

[Abdullah719]

DUBLIN – Cricket Ireland has named its seven-man squad for the upcoming Hong Kong Sixes tournament to be held at the Kowloon Cricket Club from 26 to 28 October 2018, with Paul Stirling to lead the men’s senior side for the first time.
The Hong Kong Sixes is an annual international cricket event, first staged in 1992, featuring teams of six-a-side playing in a round-robin tournament with knock-out stages. The event, played across three days, is hosted by Cricket Hong Kong and is ICC-sanctioned. This year will be the 20thstaging of the event.

Ireland last competed in the Hong Kong Sixes in 2011, where they made the Quarter Finals, defeating England and Bangladesh along the way. Paul Stirling and George Dockrell were part of that squad, so will make their second appearance in the competition, while the other players will make their tournament debuts.

Graham Ford, Head Coach of Ireland Men’s team, said:

“While being a modified format of the game, obviously the skills of T20 cricket come to the fore at this tournament. There’s no secret that T20 cricket is a format we need to improve at and we’ve selected a squad with an eye to theICC World T20 qualifiers in October/November 2019.”

“The Hong Kong Sixes format encourages aggressive batting and high scoring - so really suits all-rounders. The squad chosen have each displayed a good mix of the skills required for this tournament, and will no doubt enjoy the opportunity to sharpen their techniques going into an important year for Irish cricket.”

The squad

Paul Stirling (Captain), Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Shane Getkate, James Shannon, Simi Singh, Stuart Thompson.

Graham Ford (Head Coach) and Ryan Eagleson (Team Manager/Assistant Coach) will accompany the squad.