Ireland T20 squad for England series announced; Canada-born batsman included

Ireland have announced their 14-player squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against England at home, with Paul Stirling appointed as captain. Mark Adair and Josh Little will miss the series due to injuries, while 23-year-old Canada-born wicketkeeper-batter Ben Calitz has received his maiden call-up.

Ireland will host England for a T20I series for the first time. The series will begin on September 17 at Malahide, with the second and third matches scheduled for September 19 and 21 at the same venue. The series will serve as preparation ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka next year.

England will send a squad captained by 21-year-old Jacob Bethell, who recently scored his maiden century against South Africa. Several senior players are being rested after the busy English summer.

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Cricket Ireland Announces 14-Player Squad for T20I Series Against England

On Monday, September 8, Cricket Ireland announced their 14-player squad for the T20I series against England. Paul Stirling will continue as captain. Ross Adair, Curtis Campher, Harry Tector, and others are included in the squad. Josh Little, Mark Adair, and Fionn Hand are unavailable due to injuries.

Little has played just one competitive game since July, while Adair recently underwent knee surgery. Hand also misses out due to injury. Gareth Delany, Curtis Campher, and Craig Young have returned to the squad.

Ben Calitz is the only uncapped player in the squad. He previously played for Canada Under-19s before moving to Ireland in 2022. Calitz has represented Munster Reds and Northern Knights in the Inter-Provincial Series and also participated in the Ireland Wolves tour of the UAE in April 2025.

Ireland Squad for England T20I Series: Paul Stirling (c), Ross Adair, Ben Calitz, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Graham Hume, Matthew Humphreys, Barry McCarthy, Jordan Neil, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White, and Craig Young.

Every Match Against England Is a Special Occasion - Andrew White

Ireland National Men’s Selector Andrew White said that the T20I series against England will be a key preparation ahead of the T20 World Cup. He emphasized that facing one of the world’s top teams provides an opportunity to assess the squad’s strengths and fine-tune their game.

"While every match against England is a special occasion, this series takes on extra importance given we are less than six months out from the next T20 World Cup. These matches against England offer us an opportunity to test ourselves against one of the world's best teams as we build up to that tournament," White said.

We Have Excellent Cover at the Top of the Order - Andrew White

Andrew White stated that the absence of Mark Adair, Fionn Hand, and Josh Little provides an opportunity for other bowlers to stake a claim for World Cup selection. He also emphasized that the team is focused on strengthening the middle-order batting.

"While it's unfortunate that Mark [Adair], Fionn [Hand], and Josh [Little] are not available, this series will give several other members of the bowling group the chance to step up and challenge for World Cup spots,” said White.

"While we have excellent cover at the top of the order, it is the middle order batting where we are looking to increase our depth. As part of this focus, we welcome Ben Calitz into the squad, who gives us a left-handed batting option, as well as wicketkeeping cover, and Jordan Neill returns as cover for Mark Adair, as he did in the West Indies ODI series earlier this summer before injury cut his debut short."

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