As he prepares to take charge of Ireland for the first time in a five-game ODI series against Afghanistan starting on Wednesday, new head coach Gary Wilson has challenged the side to make their own World Cup history.

Ireland have not qualified for the 50-over competition since 2015, but, as they return to the format for the first time in 15 months this week, Wilson says his squad are "laser-focused" on making it to South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia next autumn.

Wilson played in that tournament 11 years ago, and four years prior when the side famously toppled England in Bangalore (now Bengaluru), so knows well the impact such tournaments have in raising the side's profile at home and abroad.

"We're laser-focused on 50-over cricket right now for that reason," said Wilson of World Cup qualification. "I've been lucky enough to be part of two and they are amazing experiences."

Stirling returns for Wilson's first Ireland ODIs.

Security plans in place for any Afghanistan protests.

Ireland are 12th in the ODI rankings and, as part of a keenly debated new format, will take part in a 10-team qualifier next year for just one guaranteed berth at the 2027 World Cup. Another three teams will advance to a so-called Super Series directly preceding the tournament to decide the final spot in the 12-team field.

Despite the precarious path to even make it back to a World Cup, Wilson does not want his players to limit their ambition to just taking part.

"Irish cricket is really in its infancy in many ways and there's been a lot of firsts within the last 20 years," he said. "We've had Ed Joyce as the first player to play for England, we've had the first World Cup in 2007, we've had the first Test win, why can't we go on and do something huge at a World Cup? If you'd said 30 or 40 years ago where the Irish rugby team would be now, you'd have got laughed at.

"Whether it's in our lifetime or not, one day we will do something amazing. A challenge I've put to this group is to create their own firsts. I think if we just stay focused, there's something big very close."

Gary Wilson made 292 appearances for Ireland as a player.

Should Ireland meet Wilson's ambitions, it will be in spite of a lack of 50-over cricket. In the three years since the 2023 edition of the World Cup, they have scheduled just 15 ODIs with three of those lost to the weather.

The series against Afghanistan - which Cricket Ireland CEO Sarah Keane has said comes with "moral discomfort" given the treatment of women in the Asian country - will be Ireland's first in the format since a 1-1 draw with West Indies in May 2025.

"It is a challenge of course, but it is what it is," said Wilson. "We know it's a barrier but there's not any point in talking about it, we can't change it. We have played other cricket within that period.

"Would I have wanted more? Of course, I'd have wanted loads, but that's not to be. We've got what we've got and we get on with it and attempt to beat Afghanistan in this series."

Ireland at least come in with recent white-ball form after June's historic T20 series win over India. The 2-0 victory at Stormont, Ireland's first wins over the T20 world champions in any format, made global headlines but Wilson is keen to draw a line under the feat.

"More than anything those results probably made people stand up and think and it's something we can try and work off the back of as a wider organisation," he said. "In terms of the team, we mustn't get carried away with two results. You wouldn't change them for the world, they were phenomenal, but they're in the past now. We must start again against Afghanistan."

Bowler Jai Moondra, the breakout star of the India series, will make his 50-over debut against Afghanistan, while Paul Stirling, who retains the ODI captaincy despite relinquishing the T20 role, seamer Mark Adair and all-rounder Curtis Campher all return to the panel.

Against a side who have travelled with the likes of Rashid Kahn and Ibrahim Zadran in their touring squad, Ireland will however be without Josh Little, Craig Young, Barry McCarthy, Matt Hollard and Jordan Neil through injury.

Paul Stirling will retain the 50-over captaincy after Lorcan Tucker became T20 skipper.

The wins over India were the final games under previous head coach Heinrich Malan who was replaced by his former assistant Wilson less than 24 hours after the series concluded in what Cricket Ireland called a "planned transition".

While Wilson said the role is one he had his "eye on" since retiring in 2020, he acknowledges it will come with a different set of responsibilities to those he had under Malan.

"Obviously the relationships will have to change slightly because you become the person responsible for picking players and not picking players," he said. "By default, some players aren't going to be happy and previously those players maybe would have turned to you.

"That's a different dynamic, but I base my whole coaching philosophy around communication and I think if you can remain pretty steady with that, while difficult conversations are hard, at least if you're honest, players know what to expect from you."

5 August: First ODI, Bready, 10:45

7 August: Second ODI, Bready, 10:45

10 August: Third ODI, Stormont, 10:45

12 August: Fourth ODI, Stormont, 10:45

15 August: Fifth ODI, Stormont, 10:45

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