Ireland hope for better after mauling

August 20, 2016
Start time 10.45am local (0945GMT)

Well, at least things can only get better for Ireland. It would be hard to go worse than a 255-run shellacking and they will be aiming to narrow the appreciable gap between the sides when the rematch gets underway with only 48 hours in which to recover their composure.

Pakistan have had their difficulties against Ireland in the past but, on the back of Sharjeel Khan's mighty hitting, they breezed to a confidence-boosting victory to start off the limited-overs leg of their tour. There is not much to be gained in the way of rankings points by beating Ireland but winning has yet to become a habit for Azhar Ali's ODI side.

Azhar did not gain any respite from his own trough of 50-over form but Pakistan appear to have a better balance to their side, with several allrounders and a blend of youth and experience. Mohammad Nawaz enjoyed his debut, with fifty and a key wicket, while a successful comeback for Umar Gul was also encouraging.

It would be in Pakistan's interests to come up against a stiffer test ahead of their five-match series against England. Ireland have stuttered through their busiest-ever home season but the incentive of a Full Member scalp remains on the table; they will certainly want to finish without chants of "Pakistan Zindabad!" ringing in their ears.

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
Ireland LWLWL
Pakistan WLLLL

With only one fifty in 12 innings, William Porterfield has come in for increasing scrutiny at the top of the order. The long-serving Ireland captain moved down to No. 3 for the first match against Pakistan - though he was at the crease inside the first over after Paul Stirling's two-ball duck - and he will need to draw on a decade of experience to lift a side that has just posted its lowest total at home.

Sharjeel Khan became the seventh opening partner for Azhar Ali since he was made ODI captain after the World Cup and, at a stroke, the most successful. Having scored fifty on debut in 2013, Sharjeel failed to nail down a position and spent two years out of the side. He won a recall in T20s after an impressive PSL and, having swelled his ODI average from 17.63 to 28.83 in one boundary-filled innings, has earned an extended crack.

Ireland are likely to stick with most of the team that were so ignominiously manhandled the other day but Peter Chase - whose seven overs cost 70 - could make way for Craig Young.

Ireland (probable) 1 Paul Stirling, 2 Ed Joyce, 3 William Porterfield (capt) 4 Niall O'Brien, 5 Kevin O'Brien, 6 Gary Wilson, 7 Stuart Poynter (wk), 8 Andy McBrine, 9 Tim Murtagh, 10 Barry McCarthy, 11 Peter Chase/Craig Young

Yasir Shah and Wahab Riaz were rested after their Test exertions but may want a white-ball game to tune up for the resumption of competition with England. Mohammad Amir could be in line for a break.

Pakistan (probable) 1 Azhar Ali (capt), 2 Sharjeel Khan, 3 Mohammad Hafeez, 4 Babar Azam, 5 Shoaib Malik, 6 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 7 Mohammad Nawaz, 8 Imad Wasim/Yasir Shah, 9 Wahab Riaz, 10 Umar Gul, 11 Hasan Ali

Porterfield said the surface for the first match "wasn't a 330-all-out pitch, but it wasn't an 80-all-out pitch either". It should provide something for everyone, provided the teams can get on - rain is forecast for much of the day in Dublin.

"It's a tough learning curve for the younger lads coming into the team - it is a tough school coming in to bowl at the best players in the world."
William Porterfield admits his players learned a hard lesson