Ireland announced their 15-member squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against England which is scheduled to be played from September 20th. Paul Stirling has been given the leadership responsibility for this series.
In September, Paul Stirling is set to lead Ireland in a key three-match ODI series against England, marking their return to the 50-over format following a dismal showing at the World Cup qualifying event in Zimbabwe earlier in the year.
Stirling will reprise his role as opener alongside Andrew Balbirnie, his predecessor as captain, while Curtis Campher is confirmed to take up the key No.3 post. Ireland is geared ready to play the defending world champions, England, in a series of ODIs set to be staged at Headingley, Trent Bridge, and Bristol from September 20, 23, and 26 respectively.
The squad welcomes a potential new member in Theo van Woerkom, a left-arm spinner originating from New Zealand, who has already shown his skills with the Northern Knights in Ireland’s provincial championship.
Ireland had entered the World Cup qualifying tournament with high aspirations of securing a spot in the main event for the first time since 2015. However, their trip came to an end with a seventh-place finish after losing out on the Super Sixes portion of the competition.
Since then, they have found success by qualifying for the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the USA next year. Their recent series against India, where they lost 2-0 with one match abandoned, stands as a tribute to their constant efforts and commitment on the cricketing scene.
“The key changes are at the top of the order where Andrew Balbirnie will open with Paul Stirling. The pair have a great understanding and we believe they can develop into a longer term opening option in the 50-over game,” said Andrew White, Ireland men’s national selector as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
“Along with this, Curtis Campher will make the move to number 3, where we believe he has the technique and aptitude to succeed in the role – he plays pace as well as anyone in the squad, and whilst he has been a mainstay of our middle order for a few years now, we believe he has the capability to batter higher up the order and have a really positive impact.”
“We see this series as important in the development and evolution of our one-day squad and the players are certainly looking forward to locking horns with England for the first time in ODIs since 2020,” Andrew further mentioned.
Ireland Squad For England Series:
Paul Stirling (c, Mark Adair, Andrew Balbirnie, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Graham Hume, Josh Little, Andy McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Neil Rock, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Theo van Woerkom, Craig Young.
