Ireland submit formidable squad for World T20 despite no Kevin O'Brien

Ireland are ready to take on yet another major challenge with a 15-member strong list revealed for the ICC World T20 2022 scheduled to take place Down Under from October 16. Andy Balbirnie has been named the side's captain which hosts a plethora of veterans paired with young names in what will be the country's seventh consecutive World T20 appearance. Notably, this is the first time in their history that Ireland will enter a World Cup without the recently retired Kevin O'Brien in their ranks, who was a part of all nine squads that took part in major ICC tournaments.

“It’s an exciting time for Irish cricket as we embark on another major global tournament. Over the last year we have been building a solid core squad, while creating more depth in our T20 cricket. I think fans have started to see the positive strides the players have been making in this format – especially with the series win over Afghanistan - and we hope we can take this momentum into the tournament in Australia," said Andrew White to ICC, Chair of National Men’s Selectors.

A big part of the team's performance will depend on veteran opener Paul Stirling given his experience in different playing conditions and the ability to perform at the big stage. The choice of the spinner will be crucial as well given the bouncy conditions in Australia can lead to targeting of the slower bowlers.

"One of the most considered decisions we had to make was around our spin bowling options. With George Dockrell and Gareth Delany both having an impact this summer and the variation they bring to the attack, it came down to making a choice between Simi Singh and Andy McBrine. Andy can feel very unfortunate to have missed out this time, but we believe Simi offers more variation on Australian wickets with his ability to take the ball away from both right and left handers," White explained.

“We believe this is one of the strongest T20 squads we have sent to a World Cup and wish the team and coaching staff well for the tournament ahead," he concluded.

Ireland T20 World Cup squad: Andrew Balbirnie (c), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Stephen Doheny, Fionn Hand, Josh Little, Barry McCarthy, Conor Olphert, Simi Singh, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Craig Young.