Ireland vs Oman Prediction: An overwhelming performance expected from Ireland

The third qualifying round match between Ireland and Oman for the ICC World Cup will take place at the Bulawayo Athletic Club Sports Grounds. Both Ireland and Oman have been battling since the start of this qualification encounter, with both teams having won only once in their most recent matches.

It was Ireland's failure to win a series against Bangladesh 3-0 in Chelmsford last month that doomed them to another One-Day International (ODI) World Cup Qualifier (WCQ), and there was not much throughout the second half of their Super League campaign to convince them that they are not without a chance of causing a shock upset and taking one of the two spots that are up for grabs at the big event that will be held in India later this year. It was more important for Ireland to qualify for this World Cup than it was to play England in a glamour test at Lord's, so they rested their star bowler Josh Little for that marquee fixture. They have since eased him back into this tournament with just one warm-up game appearance, and he had some impressive figures of 1/33 from seven overs against the United States, in which his teammates gave up nearly 6.5 runs per over combined. In view of the fact that they will probably need to win all of their games against associate competition in order to secure a flight to India, a loss to the Netherlands by two wickets in which they were bowled out for less than 200 would have been cause for significant anxiety. After losing four of two one-day internationals against Bangladesh in a row, it will be refreshing to play against a different team in the seventh match, but this does not guarantee a different outcome. Andy Balbirnie's Irishmen had won just one one-day international series out of a total of 12 since the beginning of 2020. This includes losing to the Netherlands (2-1) as well as drawing with the United Arab Emirates once (1-1) and Zimbabwe twice (1-1), all three of whom join Ireland at this prestigious event. It will be fascinating to see how long management continues with the experiment after scores of 7 and 4 as an opener in the warm-ups. One of the most notable changes to their lineup is the elevation of all-rounder Andy McBrine from the lower order to the top in a pinch-hitter-style role.

It would be one of the biggest surprises of the tournament if Oman were to get their campaign off to a winning start against a full member, especially considering that they enter into this tournament as one of two rank outsiders (together with the UAE), according to the odds. Oman will be participating in an ODI World Cup Qualifier for the first time since 2009, although their experiences in the opening phases of the 2016 and 2021 T20 World Cups will have served them well by exposing them to the world stage. Oman was responsible for one of the first major surprises of the 2016 edition when they defeated Ireland in Dharamsala with two balls to spare. However, it is indisputable that Ireland has made more progress in the seven years since then, as they have won four of the five subsequent Twenty20 International matches and have gone on to achieve Test status.

Before the start of this match, the team that batted first had triumphed in six of Oman's most recent seven one-day internationals (ODIs). Also, when it comes to one-day international cricket, Shoaib Khan of Oman may be the most "hot or cold" batter of all time. In his 17 one-day internationals, he has posted six scores of 50 or more and eight scores in the single digits!

Even if they haven't been playing at their best, the Ireland team is still the favorite to win this match because their roster is stronger than Oman's. Oman, on the other hand, has failed to win either of their first two matches in this qualifier; hence, I anticipate a stronger showing from them here. A wager on Oman scoring three runs is one that should be considered, despite the fact that this should be a challenging matchup. In the meantime, Ireland should win this match, but the combination of their winning the toss and their winning the match should also be considered.