In advance of the Test Match against England Men from June 1–4, 2023, Cricket Ireland has named a 15-player squad that will play Essex in a three-day first-class match in England in late May.
The 15-person team will be under Andrew Balbirnie’s leadership, in addition to several seasoned campaigners and Irish regulars like Mark Addair, George Dockrell, Harry Tector, and Lorcan Tucker. National selector Andrew White cited the circumstances at Lord’s, the site of the Test, as the reason why the team only had one spinner in the form of Andy McBrine.
Although the squad has a well-known shape, the players did well considering their growth and performances in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, particularly with the bat, and can enter Lord’s with some degree of confidence. It is wonderful to have players like Craig Young and Conor Olphert back in the lineup, and the upcoming weeks will be crucial for both of these young men as they raise their workload in preparation for this red-ball series, according to White.
With conditions significantly different from where we have most recently toured, we have only used one frontline spinner, but Andy McBrine definitely showed his all-around talent and has experience playing at Lord’s in 2019, the coach continued. Although the IPL will be over, we are quite aware that Josh needs to relax, heal, and be ready for what will be a hectic and significant summer for us in white-ball cricket.
26-28 May: Essex Men vs. Ireland Men, 1st Class Match (Chelmsford) in the IRE vs. ENG series.
England men vs. Ireland men in a test match (Lord’s), 1-4 June
Ireland group
Conor Olphert, Andrew McBrine, James McCollum, PJ Moor, Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Fionn Hand, Craig Young, Lorcan Ucker, and the captain Andrew Balbirnie
India
