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[VIDEOS] Paul Stirling - the legendary Irish batter

Bhaijaan

Bhaijaan

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Among the best associate batsmen :inti

On his way to score 3rd ODI hundred, highest score - 177 against Canada

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He should get married to Pakistani women and play for us.

Him and Hafeez would be good partnership.
 
And he brings up his hundred :14:
 
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A few whispers here that England are "looking at him".
 
The first time I watched him play I thought this guy has a bright future ahead of him. Seems very talented indeed. I can see him being poached by England in the near future
 
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^ well someone has to replace Strauss when he goes. SA out, Irish in. Keep that quota ticking over!!! :D
 
This guy is a demon opener for Ireland. If only they had Eoin Morgan bolstering their middle order, they would be one of the top batting teams in the world .
 
Watch ENG steal him within months, wouldnt be surprised if he plays against India this summer in ENG
 
about time icc gave ireland test status & eoin morgan returned back to ireland. i would take away bangladeshs test status & give it to ireland
 
Always liked the agressive approach he bats with. Associate teams need batsmen like him and Kevin O´Brien to pull of occasional brilliance.

Ryan Ten Doeschate is a perfect batsman though. Bats like a very calm and collective man.
 
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tendo and stirling show that associate teams can have batsmen who are classy and aggressive and successful. i hope associates play in wc simply so that we can see these 2 bat. especially tendo. amazing technique he has.
 
How good is Ireland's Paul Stirling?

He looks an attacking batsman with greate temperament , clean striker. Very impressed by him. Ireland is going to be a force in this world cup if he gets going.
 
4 , 6 , 4 , 4 to taylor batting at 88(75). Looks like Ire is going to do couple of upset in this tourament.
 
Quality batsman. Without checking stats he already has 2 tons against us. Rate this guy highly. One to watch out on for Sundays game.
 
Bullet Drive said:
Quality batsman. Without checking stats he already has 2 tons against us. Rate this guy highly. One to watch out on for Sundays game.
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He's pretty much our Sehwag. Can play some brilliant shots but can also throw it away. Only 1 batsman has a higher SR in the opening 10 overs since the 2011 WC, and thats BMac.

Really think Paul can be a top player, and he's still only 23
 
Donal Cozzie said:
He's pretty much our Sehwag. Can play some brilliant shots but can also throw it away. Only 1 batsman has a higher SR in the opening 10 overs since the 2011 WC, and thats BMac.

Really think Paul can be a top player, and he's still only 23
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By strike rate do you mean burgers consumed?

Shocking physique
 
wasimjunior said:
By strike rate do you mean burgers consumed?

Shocking physique
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Agree, he needs to work on that a bit. Regardless he still runs pretty well between wickets and is a decent fielder.

His offspin can be very useful at times too.

I'm quite surprised he hasnt gotten a CPL gig, he was excellent in the BPL and tbh I think he could make the grade in many t20 leagues if given a shot
 
He made his international debut in T20s against Pakistan and played a splendid cover drive on the very first ball he faced. He is a quality player and I'm his fan.
 
sunnykhan said:
He made his international debut in T20s against Pakistan and played a splendid cover drive on the very first ball he faced. He is a quality player and I'm his fan.
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Yes in 2009 against Amir. He reminds you of Shahzaib Hasan? :p
 
Donal Cozzie said:
Agree, he needs to work on that a bit. Regardless he still runs pretty well between wickets and is a decent fielder.

His offspin can be very useful at times too.

I'm quite surprised he hasnt gotten a CPL gig, he was excellent in the BPL and tbh I think he could make the grade in many t20 leagues if given a shot
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His spin is very decent. How has he been getting on at Middlesex? Does he play all formats?

(Very out of touch with county game)
 
I like him a lot. He is an aggressive opener. And a useful off spinner. Good talent.
 
He is extremely good and Ireland's most impressive player since quite some time now.

but please don't speak loudly, if England hear this he will soon be seen playing along side Eoin Morgan... That is what England do to the talents of all many smaller countries.
 
He stirs up the occasion regularly, has a lot of potential.
 
Niall O Brein is better and more technically equipped than anyone in our whole team
 
He looks a very good prospect. He's also a decent first class player - he had a good season with Middlesex last year.

In Stirling, Porterfield, Joyce and Niall O'Brien Ireland have a very good top 4. All born in Ireland too which I think is important.

Now they just need those seamers to comes through the ranks.
 
Gabbar Singh said:
He looks a very good prospect. He's also a decent first class player - he had a good season with Middlesex last year.

In Stirling, Porterfield, Joyce and Niall O'Brien Ireland have a very good top 4. All born in Ireland too which I think is important.

Now they just need those seamers to comes through the ranks.
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getting Boyd Rankin back would be a start

I think ppl who underestimate Ireland don't realize that all of these guys are regulars in country cricket. So they domestic cricket at a significantly higher level than the domestic structure of many test nations let alone other minnows and associates

so while their talent pool is tiny, it is worth its weight in gold
 
sam_ahm said:
He is extremely good and Ireland's most impressive player since quite some time now.

but please don't speak loudly, if England hear this he will soon be seen playing along side Eoin Morgan... That is what England do to the talents of all many smaller countries.
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SA is bigger than England. :)
From recent times: KP, Prior, Lumb, Dernbach, Meaker, Kieswitter, Trott etc. All born at SA and some played in their grade level. :)
 
LONDON – Ireland international Paul Stirling has today announced he has signed a new contract with Cricket Ireland and will leave Middlesex at the end of the English county season.

Stirling’s contract with the county side was due to expire at the end of the current season, and he leaves the club after 10 years, having signed his first contract with the side in December 2009.

Stirling said:

“It's been a real privilege to represent Middlesex Cricket over the last decade, and it has been an unforgettable journey for many reasons. Winning the Championship in 2016 was undoubtedly the highlight on the field, while also receiving my county cap will be something I will cherish for a very long time.”

“However, it was the relationships built with the players, staff and supporters that was the most rewarding, and that I will miss the most. I would like to thank everyone I've met along the way at the club for their support over the years and wish Middlesex all the success in the coming years.”

“I am looking forward to the next chapter with Ireland, with a busy year in 2020 and the T20 World Cup Qualifier coming up it is an exciting time to be a part of.”


Richard Holdsworth, Performance Director of Cricket Ireland, said:

“We are delighted that Paul has committed his long-term future to Ireland, although appreciate it must be a bittersweet moment for him leaving Middlesex. He is a model professional and key member of our international squad in all three formats. His experience and approach to the game is invaluable both on the pitch as a senior pro and consistent performer, and in the dressing room with the emerging players coming through.”

“We would like to thank Angus Fraser and the Middlesex hierarchy for such a positive working relationship with Cricket Ireland regarding Paul’s, and other Irish players’ development over the years. Middlesex’s proactive and cooperative approach has ensured we could all work together to develop Paul as a cricketer and manage his Paul’s progress and availability for international duties over the years.”

Angus Fraser, Director of Cricket at Middlesex Cricket, said:

“From a selfish and Middlesex point of view it is obviously sad to see Paul leave. His aggressive and destructive batting has thrilled Middlesex players and supporters for a number of years. There have been many Middlesex cricketers that have scored more runs than Paul but very few have played innings as memorable. I will never forget the afternoon he and Eoin Morgan scored hundreds against Lancashire as Middlesex smashed 350 in a 40 over game. I have seen very few players strike the ball like him and he has been a joy to work with.”

"The Middlesex coaches and myself totally understand Paul's decision. It has not been an easy one and I know he has thought about it long and hard. Playing for your country is something that should never be taken for granted. It is an honour and a privilege, and to finish a career with regrets is something nobody wants to do.”

"Everyone at Middlesex fully respects Paul's decision and we hope he achieves all that he wants with Ireland. He will always be welcome at Lord's and if he ever feels like coming back to play for us in any capacity he has my phone number."

- From Cricket Ireland
 
Brilliant hundred for Ireland in a big run chase - can he take them across the line?
 
Run out for 142(128) [4s-9 6s-6]
 
He is an absolutely fantastic ODI opener and I have always said and maintained it even when his form wasn't great. He plays some of the best off side drives I have ever seen,, just plays it so lightly almost looks like a drop and run single only to race away, and he has serious power when needed.

Its a joke he isn't in all the t20 leagues. He's the 1 Ireland player who could hack it, a properly destructive batsman.

Averaging about 45 opening in ODI's since 2018 for this team is a fantastic return, and against FM nations too so no accusations of stat padding here!
 
Stirling is pretty good. This guy almost scored a double century once if I am not wrong.
 
Probably not good enough for IPL but im surprised he hasn't landed a PSL, BPL, SLPL CPL contract. He is comfortably better than some of the overseas players selected in those leagues.
 
DeadlyVenom said:
Probably not good enough for IPL but im surprised he hasn't landed a PSL, BPL, SLPL CPL contract. He is comfortably better than some of the overseas players selected in those leagues.
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He has played in BPL and LPL
 
Stirling chops the ball onto his own stumps on his 2nd ball of PSL6. Nightmare start to the tournament
 
Stirling taking Nawaz for 17 runs in the first over of the innings

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Islamabad are 44/0 after 3 overs, and Stirling has scored 42 of them (from 16 balls)
 
The time is right for a Paul Stirling slamming in Pakistan

For a player so unlucky and deprived of opportunities, it’s almost fitting that Paul Stirling links up with PSL team Islamabad United as a replacement, and by virtue of international player selections several degrees separated.

Stirling joins American Ali Khan and Australian leg-spinner Fawad Ahmed to replace Colin Munro, Chris Jordan and Reece Topley at the franchise, with the tournament beginning on February 21.

Stirling’s signature on PSL paperwork is a long time coming. Omitted from this week’s IPL auction list, the opener is yet to taste high-level franchise cricket outside the UK, where he qualified as a local until the 2020 season. ECB red tape threatened to curtail his career despite holding a British passport, before Northamptonshire signed the opener as an overseas player. Stirling repaid the faith of his new employers, belting 232 runs for the Steelbacks at a strike rate of 152.63, and averaging over 25 at the top of the order.

It’d be unfair to suggest that Stirling is simply in the right place at the right time for his Pakistan opportunity, for it would imply that the times of his exclusion have been through the fault of his own. Nobody has compiled more T20I runs than Stirling since the start of 2019, and no other player can lay claim to scoring ten fifties in the same period.

In his first 50 career T20I innings, Stirling averaged 25.63 at a strike rate of 136.45. After his 50th T20I innings, in a period from August 2018, Stirling averages 37.80, at a strike rate of 142.96. Stirling’s timing in every sense of the word is now too good for him to go unsigned any longer.

Stirling’s career strike rate is yet to break the 140 barrier, though its climb from 106.25 to 139.27 is down to a series of contradictions and curiosities. For the 30-year-old, his slower starting approach, and an improvement against spin that belies the environment he is a product of, has revolutionised his game.

As observed in his ODI Super League exploits in England, Stirling has benefitted in limited overs formats by giving himself more time to settle in, building into a back-end flurry. In his swashbuckling 142 at the Ageas Bowl, Stirling took 27 balls to reach 20, before unleashing 122 runs off the next 101 deliveries. Stirling played out 17 dots on the way to 20, chewing up just 39 dot balls in the second half of the split. Even in his frantic 95 (47) T20 innings against the West Indies in Grenada last year, Stirling gave himself some leeway, racing to 50 from 20 balls after simmering at 5 not out off as many deliveries. Few players at any level, let alone against fellow Full Members, could make the same rocketed acceleration.

In the bookends of his innings, Stirling craves pace. With a still head and watchful eyes, Stirling makes up for a perceived lack of footwork on the drive forward of square on the off-side. His stance and backlift prime him for pull shots even against tight and miserly bowling, with a slash over backward point punishing width. Few quick bowlers have the wood over Stirling in recent years, with the opener striking a rare balance between anchoring and aggression. In all international formats over the last five years (with status), Stirling has scored 4226 runs for Ireland, over 1500 more runs than second on the list, Kevin O’Brien.

For all of Stirling’s bludgeoning, it’d be an injustice not to highlight his craft against spin bowling, the final piece of his batting approach. At international T20 level, Stirling averages 35.35 against spin, in comparison to 19.20 against the quicks.

While these figures accentuate the need to be measured at the top, they highlight a developed repertoire of shots against slower bowling. Unflustered when bowlers angle into him, Stirling’s kitbag of sweeps open up run-scoring opportunities. Able to play the ball on length and irrespective of the direction of spin, Stirling shifts across to occasionally take an off-stump guard when countered with wider bowling, to churn out vital middle-over runs.

Stirling has been dismissed just six times between 30 and 50 in his T20I career, with just one of those in his last 26 innings, in a record from January 2019 to now. Over the last two years, Stirling has been dismissed for a score under 20 just ten times in 26 innings (38%) in comparison to 27 times in 51 innings (53%) from 2009 to 2019.

Stirling’s impact in Pakistan could be seen as a masterstroke to the casual observer, though his game, developed by significant time in parts of Asia and the Middle-East, makes his recruitment a logical choice. On top of Ireland tours, Stirling has turned out in several leagues across Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and UAE. Stirling boasts 419 runs at a strike rate of 151.26 and an average of 23.28 in the BPL, and after combatting the slow pitches at the Everest Premier League in late 2018, Stirling still sizzled as one of seven players in the entire competition to finish with a strike rate of over 130 (min. 100 runs).

In recent times though, Stirling has shown his versatility via achievements in contrasting formats – in the midst of the rigours and pressures of World Cup qualification through the ODI Super League, and the game’s flavour of the month, the Abu Dhabi T10.

Nominated for ICC Player of the Month honours, Stirling breezed to consecutive centuries in the second and third matches against Afghanistan at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, unflustered by an attack of Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and co. Edged out by Rishabh Pant and his heroics in Australia for the accolade, Stirling turned his attention to the game’s youngest format, the Abu Dhabi T10, where he struck at 230 across nine innings. Stirling’s 64* (32) against the Bangla Tigers was complimented with a score of 48 off 13 balls against the Northern Warriors, in a display that had commentators almost in a wallow of despair, as he fell short of matching Chris Gayle and Waseem Muhammad’s 12-ball fifty efforts at the tournament. Stirling rather poetically found Waseem in the deep, though finished the tournament at the top of the runs table for his Abu Dhabi side.

Was it this recent success that kicked the door down? We’ll never know, but there’s little doubt the 30-year-old is battle-ready through performances against some of the world’s best. Not many players boast the experience of almost 250 T20 matches before lining up for their first game in a new competition.

To say Paul Stirling is benefitting by other players’ absence would be playing down the quality he delivers. Hardened by a game that has given no quarter, one would think a leading player of the emerging game will do more than just make up the numbers.

https://emergingcricket.com/opinion/the-time-is-right-for-a-paul-stirling-slamming-in-pakistan/
 
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Paul Stirling "it's lovely to be in Pakistan for the first time. I'm just trying to soak up the atmosphere. It's brilliant to have fans in as we've not had them in for such a long time. Hopefully we get to the final stages in Lahore and we might have a packed house" <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PSL6?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PSL6</a> <a href="https://t.co/IM2snxX2z8">pic.twitter.com/IM2snxX2z8</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1366830309916966915?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Twelve ODI hundreds at average 40 is pretty good.
 
Might get clobbered for this but looks like a right handed Sharjeel (better fielder though). Effortless timer and boundary hitter.

Terrific white ball opener who'd walk into Pakistan's team.
 
He's an outstanding player and I'm delighted hes getting this chance.

Laugh all you want, bowl offside to him he's the best timer of the ball around. He barely hit some of those boundaries and they fly away, does that time and again for Ireland, or years, its scandalous he's had to wait until he's 30. Shows how much nepotism is in franchise drafts.

He's not perfect by any means, not going to predict he'll swamp the tournament, but if the opposition don't do their homework and feed him short or offside stuff, he'll destroy them. Bowl legstump lines at fuller lengths he can be weak too, that and left arm pace, Amir has done him several times before.

Still, a fantastic opener and the only Irish player I'd have full confidence in succeeding with any cricket team in the world, international or franchise.
 
Stirling run out (Riaz) 57(25) [4s-7 6s-3]

Nice innings from the Ireland opener!
 
People underestimated Stirling because they don't watch enough cricket. Hales and Stirling are the best opening partnership this PSL.
 
Very short stint for Islamabad - leaving for international duties on 7th Feb
 
Last match for Stirling in PSL 7 today.
 
Hopefully Hurraira will get to open for United now after Stirling's departure.
 
He is the best T20 opener in the world right now!
 
He has been a good addition to the league this year. ISLU always pick a aggressive opener and his partnership with Hales has been excellent.

Shame he has to leave mid way due to Ireland duty.
 
MenInG said:
Very short stint for Islamabad - leaving for international duties on 7th Feb
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Well, he's back!

==

Irish batter Paul Stirling has once again rejoined Islamabad United and is available for tonight's HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) season Eliminator 2 against Lahore Qalandars.

A relaxation of Covid rules sees the Irishmen immediately eligible to compete upon arrival in Pakistan as soon as he registers a negative PCR test. Earlier, the PCB had stated that anyone arriving from outside Pakistan would have to quarantine for three days before being allowed to play.
 
MenInG said:
Well, he's back!

==

Irish batter Paul Stirling has once again rejoined Islamabad United and is available for tonight's HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) season Eliminator 2 against Lahore Qalandars.

A relaxation of Covid rules sees the Irishmen immediately eligible to compete upon arrival in Pakistan as soon as he registers a negative PCR test. Earlier, the PCB had stated that anyone arriving from outside Pakistan would have to quarantine for three days before being allowed to play.
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I can see opponents of Islamabad United complaining about this that the PCB and PSL authorities were bending and changing the rules at the last minute to accommodate them
 
Glad Stirling is back. Will make the game against Lahore more competitive. Islamabad side is pretty underwhelming so its a welcome boost.
 
Savak said:
I can see opponents of Islamabad United complaining about this that the PCB and PSL authorities were bending and changing the rules at the last minute to accommodate them
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:)) they can cry all they want..
ISB will keep on doing this
 
No messing about, Stirling comes straight into the side in place of Zahid Mehmood.
 
A great boon to get him back, really solid opener.
 
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