DUBLIN: Paul Stirling, the Ireland batsman, has said that he is “itching” to get back to playing cricket and is hopeful that his team’s ODI series in England will be able to go ahead behind closed doors. Ireland’s three-match series in England was initially scheduled for September, but now looks set to be played in a short window from the end of July, with players and support staff from both sides staying in the on-site hotel at Hampshire’s Ageas Bowl and with strict health protocols in place. And Stirling, Ireland’s all-time leading run-scorer in full internationals, is hoping to get a start date as soon as possible in order to give him something to aim towards after more than 10 weeks locked down in Belfast. “I’d love it to go ahead,” Stirling told ESPNcricinfo. “I think there’s obviously still going to be risks involved no matter what, but it’s about limiting those risks.Having a set date for a return to matches is helpful to the lads over here. If that’s, say, the end of July, it gives us something to look forward to and train towards, whereas at the minute you’re getting cancellations all the time… so there’s nothing on the horizon. You’re getting up each morning with nothing much to train for apart from your own personal satisfaction. It would be nice to get something actually pencilled in there. If there was a date where we had three games lined up against England, it would ease a lot of that mental pressure.” The two boards have been involved in virtual meetings over the last few weeks to discuss the details of the series. “We’ve had ongoing discussions with the ECB over possible options, as well as discussing the potential to travel to England with governments and sporting bodies in the Republic and Northern Ireland,” Warren Deutrom, Cricket Ireland’s CEO, said in a statement to ESPNcricinfo. “Certainly nothing has been agreed to date, but we will remain as flexible as we can in order to accommodate these three important World Cup qualification fixtures.”And Stirling said that while he expects players to have an opt-out, he is hopeful that it will be possible to get onto the pitch “without having to worry” about the public health situation. “As long as the safety precautions are there, I can’t see why [the series wouldn’t happen],” he said. “Hopefully by the time the two boards get together and make a decision, everything will have been taken into account. England are expected to name a red-ball training squad later this week, and are set to name an entirely separate group for one-day cricket meaning that some first-choice players could be missing if the Ireland series does go ahead.