Adair, Little Ruled Out as Ireland Announce Squad for Historic England T20I Series

Ireland will be without two of their most experienced bowlers, Mark Adair and Josh Little, for the upcoming T20I series against England. The three-match series, set to begin on September 17 at Malahide, marks the first time Ireland will host England at home in the shortest format of the game.

Both Adair and Little are currently undergoing rehabilitation and were unavailable for selection. Their absence opens the door for several fringe players to stake a claim ahead of the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, now just six months away.

The 14-member squad sees a maiden T20I call-up for 23-year-old wicketkeeper-batter Ben Calitz. Born in Vancouver, Canada, Calitz represented the Canadian Under-19 side before moving to Ireland in 2022. He adds a left-handed option to the batting lineup and provides additional wicketkeeping cover.

Ireland Squad:
Paul Stirling (captain), Ross Adair, Ben Calitz, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Graham Hume, Matthew Humphreys, Barry McCarthy, Jordan Neill, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White, Craig Young.

Men’s national selector Andrew White emphasized the significance of the series in the lead-up to the World Cup.

“While every match against England is a special occasion, this series takes on extra importance given we are less than six months out from the next T20 World Cup,” said White. “These matches offer us an opportunity to test ourselves against one of the world’s best teams.”

He added that Ireland are set to play as many T20Is in the next five months as they have played in the current cycle so far, with a strategic shift to venues in Asia and the Middle East to better prepare for subcontinental conditions.

White acknowledged the absence of Adair, Little, and Fionn Hand but saw it as a chance for new talent to emerge.

“While it’s unfortunate that Mark, Fionn, and Josh are not available, this series will give several other members of the bowling group the chance to step up and challenge for World Cup spots,” he said.

Jordan Neill, who had been called up as cover during the West Indies ODI series earlier this year but was sidelined by injury, returns to provide additional bowling depth.

The three-match series will be closely watched as Ireland look to solidify their squad and build momentum ahead of the global tournament.