Ireland can start checking out the visa requirements to visit Zimbabwe in June because after a humbling 10-wicket defeat by Bangladesh in Sylhet last night there appears to be no chance of Andy Balbirnie’s side avoiding the World Cup qualifiers.

The Boys in Green had hoped - and may still hope - that a 3-0 World Cup Super League win over Bangladesh in early May would be enough to earn them an automatic place in the tournament proper later this year in India.

Indeed, Cricket Ireland have swapped the games to Chelmsford in the hope of three dry days but Bangladesh have proved so superior in this series, with both bat and ball, that a 3-0 reverse is far more likely, even with Josh Little back in green.

The problem Ireland have is that the seam bowling department, which was once seen as a weakness, is now Bangladesh’s strong suite and all 10 wickets fell to the quicker men as the visitors were bustled out for 101 yesterday after Balbirnie chose to bat.

A worrying lack of foot movement among the batters saw Ireland slump to 26-4 inside 10 overs, as the ball zipped around, and after Lorcan Tucker and Curtis Campher had started to rebuild with a partnership of 42, a reverse-swinging yorker did for the former on 28.

It was most impressive pace bowling by a home attack coached by former South African great Allan Donald, and despite Campher battling to a top score of 36 Ireland had no answers.

Campher also managed the rare feat of a maiden over but Ireland could not find even one consolation wicket as the Tigers roared to victory in only 13.1 overs.

“We’re very disappointed,” skipper Balbirnie said. “I don’t think the way we’ve played over these three games reflects the type of cricket we have played in the past 2-3 years.

“We did expect spin to play a big part but our defence with the bat wasn’t good enough. Our fielding has been okay, but the batting has let us down.”

Perhaps, in hindsight, Balbirnie should have again chosen to bowl - he won all three tosses - but after conceding 338 and 349 in the first two games, he cannot be criticised for trying to put a score on the board.

The batters will have a chance to make amends in next week’s T20 series but the best that can be said of the one-sided ODIs is that Ireland did not spend enough time in the middle for Bangladesh to learn too much ahead of that May series.