Ireland captain Paul Stirling praised Ross Adair's remarkable progress after the opener scored his maiden T20 century in Ireland's victory over South Africa in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. Adair blasted nine sixes in his 100 off just 58 balls, helping Ireland secure their first T20 win against the Proteas in seven attempts.
Stirling, who shared a 137-run opening stand with Adair, called the knock "some of the best striking I've seen in an Irish shirt."
"I’m absolutely delighted for him. I’ve seen the hard work he’s put in, and we’re seeing it pay off against strong opposition," Stirling said.
Adair, a former Ulster rugby player and brother of pace bowler Mark Adair, made his Ireland cricket debut last year at 28. Stirling highlighted Adair’s rapid improvement over the past year as "really exciting" and expressed anticipation for his future growth in the game.
Stirling is also set to make his 400th international appearance on Wednesday, a milestone the 34-year-old sees as a great achievement, though his focus remains on the challenges ahead. Former captain Andrew Balbirnie returns for the three-match ODI series, which kicks off against South Africa on Wednesday, following Ireland's confidence-boosting T20 win.
"Confidence is huge in cricket, and while South Africa has strong players in this series, we’ll need to be at our best to compete," Stirling added.