BY SPORTSCAST WRITER
HARARE – Ross Adair made the move from professional rugby to cricket few years back, but the switch was just for “fun”, he didn’t expect to achieve anything meaningful in his new sport, let alone play internationally for his country.
The former Ulster wing was delighted to be included as a late change for Ireland’s white-ball tour of Zimbabwe after impressing with the bat in domestic cricket.
He has gone a step further, in only his second match, after top-scoring with 65 in the second T20I to guide Ireland to a series-equaling six wicket win over Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club on Saturday.
“I left rugby few years back, and I loved cricket when I was younger,” man-of-the-match Adair told reporters after the match. “My switch to cricket was purely for fun, then I started scoring runs and take it more seriously.”
The decider of the three-match T20I series against the Zimbabweans is on Sunday.
28-year-old right-hander Adair knows however that his place in the side isn’t guaranteed despite his heroics on Saturday, when some of the regulars of the Irish side return.
He has however called on for more competition against sides like Zimbabwe to increase the selection chances of fringe players like him.
“It’s massive. Zimbabwe is our closest rivals,” he said. “We love to play each other, we love to beat each other. We’ll come tomorrow trying to win the series.
“The only reason I’m here is that there are guys who are playing franchise cricket across the world. The more games that are there (between such sides) the more opportunities for guys like me.”
