Balbirnie to lead strong Ireland squad in T20 World Cup

Andy Balbirnie will lead a strong Ireland squad at the 2022 T20 World Cup after the European nation named their 15-player squad for the upcoming tournament on Tuesday.

Opener Paul Stirling, key all-rounder George Dockrell and Balbirnie provide the experience in the 15-member squad, while star batter Harry Tector and consistent pacer Mark Adair put the polish on a well-balanced outfit.

There will be no veteran batter Kevin O'Brien, who was omitted from the squad that reached the final of the qualifying tournament in June at Oman, before announcing his retirement from all forms of international cricket last month.

"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, Chair of National Men’s Selectors.

Ireland are grouped alongside West Indies, Zimbabwe and Scotland in the First Round and will kick off their campaign on October 17 against Zimbabwe in Hobart.

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.