Ross Adair “excited” by prospect of first international cap for Ireland ahead of Zimbabwe tour

Speaking on the eve of Ireland’s departure from training at North County Cricket Club, Adair said reflected on the opportunity that lies ahead of him.

“It was great to get the call from Andrew White [Selector], and to be on the verge of hopefully getting an international cap is exciting,” he said.

"I made the switch of focus from rugby to cricket after feeling I had finished my life in rugby and wanted to try something different. I’ve been playing cricket since I was 11, so I thought I’d give it a crack and see how far I could get.”

Asked whether he was always a top order batter, Adair said: “I wasn’t actually. At Irish under-13s level I opened the bowling and batted at 10.

"As I got older, began to put on a bit of weight and couldn’t bowl as quick, I started bowling left-arm offies and concentrate more on my batting. Now I bat up top.”

Adair points to coaches Ryan Eagleson, Simon Johnston and Ian Butler as having a major influence on his career.

“I’ve had Eagy [Ryan Eagleson] coaching me since I was a young man, and Jonty [Simon Johnston] the Knights head coach has been magnificent over the last three years.

"Ian Butler [Knights’ Assistant Coach] has been great for me mentally – those guys a key part of the reason I’m here now.”

Adairs says there was never a “singular moment” when he thought he could pay for Ireland and instead was focused solely on enjoying cricket.

“Not really a singular moment where I thought I could make this a profession or play for Ireland – I just wanted to keep enjoying it,” he said.

"It sounds like a cliché but that’s the truth. I love my cricket and just want to push as hard as I can at it. With my batting I just like to keep things simple – if the ball is there in my scoring area, then I just try to hit the ball as hard as I can.”

With his brother Mark also part of the Ireland team, Adair admits his parents are “chuffed” by their achivements in the sport.

“Mum and dad are absolutely chuffed, but I feel bad for them. Instead of having one son to be nervous about, now they have two.

"I’ve been on that side watching Mark play, and know how nerve-wracking it is – I can only imagine what they’ll go through with two sons playing, but also the happiness too.”

If Adair is selected to play, the pair will become the first set of brothers to star for Ireland in an international since Niall and Kevin O’Brien against Afghanistan in 2018.

The Ireland Men’s squad depart from Dublin on Saturday, with the first match against Zimbabwe on Thursday 12 January. The tour will feature three T20 Internationals, followed by three one-day internationals. All matches will be played at Harare Sports Club.