Ireland team. (Photo by INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP via Getty Images)
Ireland team. (Photo by INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP via Getty Images)

Cricket Ireland (CI) on July 27, 2022, Wednesday, announced the national team squad for the upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan and South Africa and said that the 14-member squad led by Andrew Balbirnie which played against New Zealand recently will be retained.

Ireland will play against South Africa at Bristol on August 3 and 5, followed by the first three matches of the subsequent five-match T20Is against Afghanistan to be played at Stormont on August 9, 11, and 12, followed by the last two T20Is on August 15 and 17.

Ireland recently played 2 T20Is against India with the second match being a high-scoring nail-biting entertainer. Ireland lost a narrow match by just 4 runs and the series 0-2. They recently hosted New Zealand in their 2022 home summer, losing both ODI and T20I series 3-0 despite coming close to unbelievable wins on many occasions.

Ireland Cricket Team
Ireland Cricket Team

We Are Now Getting Down To The Final Stages Of Our Preparations For The T20 World Cup 2022: Chief Selector Andrew White

The India and New Zealand matches threw up a brilliant surprise in Harry Tector who blew everyone away with his belligerent yet smart hitting prowess while George Dockrell and Paul Stirling shined as always.

“We are now getting down to the final stages of our preparations as we build towards the Men’s T20 World Cup in October. The squad has faced two high-quality opponents in recent weeks, in India and New Zealand, and have stern tests ahead against South Africa and Afghanistan.

We believe, while the results have not gone our way, the brand of cricket that (head coach) Heinrich Malan is instilling in the squad is showing positive signs and the players are beginning to equip themselves well as they build towards the World Cup in Australia,” said Andrew White, Chairman of National Men’s Selectors.

Ireland team. (Photo by INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP via Getty Images)
Ireland team. (Photo by INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP via Getty Images)

“We have, however, sought to give ourselves a level of selection flexibility later in the Afghan series, and will announce a squad for the final two T20Is of that series in due course,” the chairman added.

Furthermore, it was reported that a provisional Ireland squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will be announced in late August, with the final squad to be confirmed in early September.

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Ireland squad: Andrew Balbirnie (Captain), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Stephen Doheny, Fionn Hand, Josh Little, Andrew McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, and Craig Young.

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