Ireland have announced their ODI and T20I squads for the upcoming white-ball series against South Africa, scheduled from September 28 to October 7 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

This series will mark Ireland’s return to limited-overs cricket following their disappointing campaign at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. A key decision was the exclusion of Test captain Andy Balbirnie from the T20I squad, despite his significant run-scoring history for Ireland.

Exclusion and recent struggles

Balbirnie, Ireland’s second-highest T20I run-scorer, has faced difficulties in recent months, averaging just 24.83 in 12 innings this year with a strike rate of 113.74. His absence from Leinster Lightning‘s most recent T20 match hinted at a potential change. Lorcan Tucker is likely to replace him as Paul Stirling‘s opening partner for the T20Is. National selector Andrew White explained the decision as part of exploring “new dynamics at the top of the order” in the T20 format. However, Balbirnie remains a key player in Ireland’s ODI plans and will return as an opener for the ODI series.

“We’ll be looking at introducing a new dynamic, with Andrew Balbirnie sitting out the T20Is on this occasion. There are only two T20Is in the upcoming series, but they will offer important opportunities as we try to increase our levels of performance,” White said in a statement release by Cricket Ireland

Focus on a new cycle ahead of ICC events

White emphasized that this series against South Africa represents the start of a new cycle for Ireland, as they begin preparations for upcoming ICC events, including the Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 and the Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027. With these major tournaments on the horizon, the series will serve as an opportunity to test new combinations and increase performance levels.

“2026 and 2027 are pivotal years for our white-ball squads – those years being the next T20 and 50-over World Cups respectively. Given their timeframes, it means we are looking at this upcoming series against South Africa as the start of a new cycle,” White concluded.

Key players and fresh faces

While experienced players like Paul Stirling, Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, and Harry Tector will feature in both squads, new faces like Matthew Humphreys and Ben White have been included in the T20I squad, signaling Ireland’s focus on building for the future. Notably, Josh Little is unavailable for the series due to his ongoing commitments in the Caribbean Premier League.

Uncapped leg-spinner Gavin Hoey is expected to make his ODI debut, while Gareth Delany is included only in the T20I squad. Changes from the 2024 T20 World Cup squad include the absence of both Balbirnie and Josh Little, replaced by emerging talents like Humphreys.

Also READ: South Africa coach Rob Walter opens up about Quinton de Kock’s T20I future

Series format and expectations

The series will consist of two T20Is followed by three ODIs. Ireland will look to improve upon their recent form after a disappointing T20 World Cup and will seek redemption following previous bilateral series losses to South Africa. This series will also provide valuable experience as Ireland focuses on preparing for future ICC tournaments.

Ireland Men’s Squads for the white-ball series against South Africa:

ODI Squad:

Paul Stirling (c)
Mark Adair
Andrew Balbirnie
Curtis Campher
George Dockrell
Stephen Doheny
Gavin Hoey
Fionn Hand
Graham Hume
Matthew Humphreys
Andy McBrine
Neil Rock
Harry Tector
Lorcan Tucker
Craig Young

T20I Squad:

Paul Stirling (c)
Mark Adair
Ross Adair
Curtis Campher
Gareth Delany
George Dockrell
Fionn Hand
Matthew Humphreys
Graham Hume
Neil Rock
Harry Tector
Lorcan Tucker
Ben White

Also READ: South Africa name squads for the white-ball series against Ireland in UAE

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