Ireland vs South Africa: First T20 win against Proteas would be ‘huge’ – Paul Stirling

The Proteas, who reached the T20 World Cup final in June, and Ireland begin a new cycle leading to the 2026 tournament in India and Sri Lanka.

Ireland failed to win any of their four games at the World Cup but Stirling is “extremely confident” the team will improve over the next two years.

“We have extremely talented players and we want to accommodate them in the best possible way for the next World Cup,” he said.

“We are likely to see new faces in the next six to 12 months and expand the player pool to get more people playing international cricket. We need to start bringing younger players in and give different players opportunities over time.”

South Africa is coming off an ODI series defeat against Afghanistan in Sharjah and will therefore be looking to bounce back against the Irish.

“It’s an exciting challenge and we as a team want to get back on the road to success,” said captain Aiden Markram.

“It’s a young and perhaps less experienced team against a very good Irish team with guys who are winning the game and guys who have beaten every opponent they’ve come across.”