Ireland v New Zealand: No pressure on hosts, says captain Andrew Balbirnie

Ireland's Andrew Balbirnie says his side should not feel any pressure as they prepare to begin their three-match one-day series against New Zealand.

The Black Caps are the world's top 50-over side while Ireland sit 11th in the ICC rankings.

Much of the best Irish performances in recent times have come in the one-day format - including the 2-1 series win in the West Indies in January.

"We've had a lot of good ODI cricket in recent years," skipper Balbirnie said.

"I don't think there's pressure. I think we're still 10 or 11 places below the team we're playing this week so I think all the pressure is going to be on them.

"They got to the World Cup final in 2019, they're the number one ranked team in 50 over cricket. I think the only pressure that will be on us is the pressure that we put on ourselves to put in performances.

"If we come away with a couple of wins in this series I don't think it's going to be too much of a shock but we've got to make sure that we put in a performance and wherever we're at at the end of the three games, we'll re-assess."

The series is part of the Cricket World Cup Super League, with 10 points on offer in each game as both sides seek to secure their place at next year's tournament in India.

The top eight teams from the Super League - with the exception of India who have already qualified as tournament hosts - will automatically advance while the remaining sides will enter into a further qualifying tournament.

Ireland currently sit eighth with six games remaining, but have played more matches than all but one of the five sides below them, who include 10th-placed New Zealand, who have played 12 matches less than the Irish.

"I'm not looking too far ahead," Balbirnie said.

"We've just got to focus on each series or game as it comes, I think we have six games left in the competition so we'll try and win as many as possible and see where we end up."

Ireland's home summer began with a 2-0 Twenty20 series loss to India, but the hosts ran the format's top-ranked side close in a thrilling second match in which they fell an agonising four runs short of pulling off a stunning chase.

"There was plenty of positives, particularly in that second game in our approach and our mindset about how to go out and compete with these guys on a regular basis," Balbirnie reflected.

"It's a different format but it's also the same personnel in and around the squad so there is a good excitement about the group.

"I think we always knew we could compete against the best teams but India's almost like a different beast so to be able to run them pretty close gave us a bit of confidence.

"But it's a different format so we've got to make sure that we're tuned in. We've played some pretty good 50-over stuff and we know our 50-over game pretty well, but that doesn't mean anything if you don't go out and do the business on the pitch."