Irish cricketer Paul Stirling is set to join Ireland's Test squad for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka. The team will play two Tests in Galle between April 16 and 28. Stirling will be available for selection for the second Test, which will be held from April 24-28.
Initially, the tour was scheduled to include one Test and two ODIs. However, due to Sri Lanka's request for more red-ball matches, the two ODIs were replaced with an extra Test match. This decision has given Stirling the opportunity to focus on red-ball cricket, and he will now be part of the Test squad for the second match.
"Paul was originally set to join the squad in Sri Lanka for the ODI series that was originally planned. However, with those fixtures now converted to a Test match, and the scheduled Bangladesh T20I series in Ireland postponed, he will now have a greater focus on red-ball cricket and will join the Test squad for that second Test," said Andrew White, National Men's Selector at Cricket Ireland.
Stirling's addition brings the total number of players in Ireland's travelling squad to 16 for the second Test match. The team will also play a one-off Test against Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium from April 4-8. The Irish squad for this match includes nine uncapped players, out of which three have never played a game of first-class cricket.
Irish cricket fans will be eager to see how Stirling performs in the Test series against Sri Lanka. His addition to the squad is a boost for the team, and they will be hoping that he can make a valuable contribution with the bat.
Ireland squad for Tests against Sri Lanka: Andrew Balbirnie (captain), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Murray Commins, George Dockrell, Fionn Hand, Graham Hume, Matthew Humphreys, Tom Mayes, Andrew McBrine, James McCollum, Paul Stirling (second Test), PJ Moor, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White.