Ireland names 15-member squad for T20 WC

Skipper Andrew Balbirnie will lead a strong Ireland squad at this year’s ICC T20 World Cup after the European nation named their 15-player squad for the upcoming tournament on Tuesday.Balbirnie will lead Ireland on the four-week tournament as he was named as the caption to the Irish side to an experienced squad that includes a good mix of talented veterans and promising youngsters.Opener Paul Stirling, essential all-rounder George Dockrell and Balbirnie provide the experience in the 15-member squad, while star batter Harry Tector and pacer Mark Adair put the polish on a well-balanced squad.There will be no veteran batter Kevin O’Brien, who was omitted from the squad that competed in the Qualifier, 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 in an official statement released by Ireland Cricket.