Stirling is reluctant to make excuses for his side’s failure to progress to the next stage of the competition but adds that the adverse weather they experienced played a significant part.
“I’m careful on making excuses but it has been challenging – there’s no doubt about that.
“Certainly the Florida leg it has pretty much rained since we got here and we were unable to train but again we are from Ireland and we’re used to sometimes not training, so you get on with that and the challenges that international cricket brings.”
Stirling believes the performance of the associate nations in their group, USA and Canada, was another factor.
“We know from our own experience of 10 to 15 years ago that every single game is a bit like a World Cup final when you are trying to come up the ranks.
“From around eighth to 20th in the world there is a not a lot in it. It’s maybe just a slight difference in quality. So we know that every game that you play, no game is an easy win.”
Ireland have generally adopted an aggressive approach in T20 cricket and Stirling says finding the appropriate tactics for that form of the game can be a delicate balance.
“It [an aggressive approach] will definitely work better on flatter decks but it’s tricky because I think we did temper down for Canada and that also didn’t work, so it’s about finding that real tempo that does work on a tricky deck in T20 cricket.
“It’s easier said than done. I would much rather see us go down like we did against Pakistan, fighting and showing that we want to put pressure on the bowlers than maybe our first 12 or 14 overs against Canada where you go into your shell so much to try to get a score that it actually hinders you more than trying to hit fours and sixes. To get that balance right, that’s what the task is.”