Ireland name 14-man squad for Men's T20 World Cup Qualifier in Oman in February
- Published
Andy McBrine excelled with bat and ball in the West Indies
Ireland have named a 14-man squad for the Men's T20 World Cup Qualifier in Oman in February.
The panel includes Harry Tector and Andy McBrine, who were both standout performers in the recent ODI series win over the West Indies.
The tournament will take place between 15 and 24 February, with the top two teams progressing to the T20 World Cup in Australia in October and November.
Ireland will face UAE, Bahrain and Germany in the group stages.
The top two teams from each Group progress to a semi-final, the two winners of these then qualify for the T20 World Cup.
Tector excelled with the bat in the Caribbean, with McBrine starring in both the batting and bowling aspects of the game throughout the Covid-affected tour.
In addition to the 14-player panel, two additional reserves will travel as part of the tournament's Covid protocols, with the group leaving for Dublin for Oman on 4 February, where they will play some fixtures during the lead-in period to the Qualifier.
Chair of National Men's Selectors and World Cup 2007 player, Andrew White said the entire squad impressed the selectors during the difficult overseas trip during the Christmas and New Year period.
"We were all pleased to see the resilience, grit, and fight by the squad on display in the West Indies - these are characteristics that have always been part of Irish cricket, and I know the team is looking to exemplify this in their on-field performances," said White.
"Hopefully, we can carry the confidence and momentum of the recent series forward to the Qualifier and beyond.
"The individual performances of the likes of Andy McBrine and Harry Tector were well reported, but the willingness of the squad as a whole to battle through a challenging tour and finish the way they did is a great credit to them."
Ireland Men's squad: Andrew Balbirnie (c), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Shane Getkate, Josh Little, Andy McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Simi Singh, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Craig Young.
Travelling reserves: Neil Rock, Ben White
Group Stage fixtures
18 February: Ireland v UAE (10:00 GMT)
19 February: Ireland v Bahrain (10:00 GMT)
21 February: Ireland v Germany (06:00 GMT)