Ireland pick experienced squad for World Cup qualifiers
Ireland have chosen to go with experience for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, with mo less than eight players boasting 100 international caps to their name.
The 27-year-old James Shannon, who only has one ODI cap to his name, has been selected in a squad that includes household Irish names like captain William Porterfield, Ed Joyce, Paul Stirling and Kevin and Niall O’Brien.
Stuart Poynter misses out as his wife is due to give birth in March while seamer Tim Murtagh makes a return to the squad
The qualifying matches for the 2019 World Cup will be played in Zimbabwe in March with Ireland in group A alongside favourites West Indies, Netherlands, Papua New Guinea and the winners of the ICC World Cricket League Division 2.
ALSO READ: ICC announce 2019 World Cup Qualifier fixtures
Porterfield said: “It’s going to be a really hard-fought tournament with nearly all the sides in with a genuine chance of qualification.
“There are certainly no ‘gimmes’ in the competition. It’s a pity there are only two places up for grabs.
“We’ve got a good record against the Windies, beating them in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, so we’ll take confidence from that.
“The Netherlands have got some big players back in recent times, so they’ll be tough, while PNG are improving all the time.
“We will be at full strength for the competition, so hopefully if we play to our strengths we’ll make it through to the United Kingdom in 2019 and our fourth straight World Cup.”
Two countries from the World Cup qualifiers will play at the 2019 World Cup.
Ireland squad: William Porterfield (capt), Andy Balbirnie, Peter Chase, George Dockrell, Ed Joyce, Andy McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Tim Murtagh, Kevin O’Brien, Niall O’Brien (wk), Boyd Rankin, James Shannon, Simi Singh, Paul Stirling, Gary Wilson
Latest
-
NewsAshley Giles will not allow England commitments to play second fiddle to IPL
Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Jos Buttler could find themselves involved in a calendar clash.
-
NewsAshley Giles hints at possible new faces for England in New Zealand series
Giles suggested players who recently returned from the postponed Indian Premier League into quarantine may be eased back into action gently.
-
NewsCraig Overton and Lyndon James star in big wins for Somerset and Nottinghamshire
The paceman picked up five second innings wickets to set up victory.
-
NewsGloucestershire escape the bad weather as David Payne rolls over Middlesex
The seamer claimed six for 56 and 10 wickets in the match as the visitors secured a comfortable win.
-
NewsOn this day in 2004: Muttiah Muralitharan beats Shane Warne to Test record
Muralitharan surpassed Courtney Walsh’s mark of 519 Test wickets.
-
NewsCraig Overton displays all-round talents to put Somerset on top
James Bracey also excelled as Gloucestershire pushed for victory over Middlesex.
-
NewsNottinghamshire in control against Essex as 15 wickets fall at Trent Bridge
James Anderson removed Marnus Labuschagne cheaply.
-
NewsEngland could stage remaining IPL games in September as counties contact ECB
It is believed the matches could be wrapped up in little over a fortnight if a model of two games a day and three on weekends was adopted.
-
NewsOn This Day in 1988 – Worcestershire’s Graeme Hick scores 405 in single innings
Hick set a 20th-century County Championship record six years before Brian Lara broke it with his 501 not out for Warwickshire.
-
NewsAfter a failed footballing coup in Europe, it’s time we spoke about the IPL
We have had 13 years of the IPL and, perhaps now, we can imagine that cricket today is the blueprint of what football could have looked like