Right-arm pacer Graham Hume and wicketkeeper-batsman Neil Rock have been named in Ireland’s 15-member squad for the T20I series against Zimbabwe starting on December 7 in Harare. Fionn Hand and Ben White, who were part of Ireland’s last T20I series against India in August, were left out of the squad.
For the three-match ODI series that is scheduled to follow the three T20Is, bowling all-rounder Gareth Delany, who was in the team that faced England in September, was omitted.
This will also be the first tour led by Paul Stirling since his permanent appointment as captain of the white team. Ireland will spend five days at a training camp in Spain from November 19-23 before traveling to Zimbabwe on December 1. All matches will be played in Harare and the series will conclude with the third and final ODI on December 17.
Having made his debut in 2022, Hume played four T20Is, taking a total of four wickets in those games. Rock, for his part, has been part of 19 T20Is.
“This is the first outing for the men’s team since the ODI series in England in September,” said Ireland men’s national coach Andrew White. “This tour marks the beginning of a new cycle under a new leadership setup, and we are eager to see how this group of players evolve as they move towards the next 50-over World Cup.
“However, before we get to that stage, there will be two T20 World Cups to plan and prepare for, and this tour is crucial to our preparations for the T20 World Cup next June. “We showed the world what we were capable of in the last T20 World Cup, but with the talent and potential within this group of players, we believe we can go ahead and achieve even more.”
Ireland T20I Team: Paul Stirling (captain), Mark Adair, Ross Adair, Andrew Balbirnie, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Josh Little, Graham Hume, Barry McCarthy, Neil Rock, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Theo van Woerkom, Craig Young
ODI Team: Paul Stirling (captain), Mark Adair, Andrew Balbirnie, Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Josh Little, Graham Hume, Andy McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Neil Rock, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Theo van Woerkom, Craig Young
