Ireland: Paul Stirling and Josh Little to miss Tests in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka

Stirling's involvement in the tour will be confined to white-ball cricket while Little will play in the opening ODIs in Bangladesh before missing the remainder of the action

Paul Stirling and Josh Little will miss Ireland's April Tests in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka as they juggle international and franchise cricket commitments.

Opener Stirling will concentrate on white-ball cricket this year as Ireland aim to secure World Cup qualification.

Indian Premier League-contracted left-arm seamer Little will play in the one-day internationals in Bangladesh before missing the rest of the tour.

Former Zimbabwe wicketkeeper Peter Moor has received a first Ireland call-up.

Irish-qualified Moor, 32, has played in eight Tests, 49 ODIs and 21 Twenty20 internationals for his native Zimbabwe, last appearing for them in October 2019.

He has been playing for the Munster Reds in Ireland since 2021 and is named in the squad for both Test matches.

Ireland will end a near four-year Test absence when they face Bangladesh in a contest starting on 4 April while their Test against Sri Lanka will start on 18 April.

Ireland coach Heinrich Malan said the decision to excuse Stirling from the two Tests was "trying to find a balance between the work load management".

Stirling has 'a fair few T20 commitments'

Malan added that having Stirling fresh for Ireland's crucial home World Cup qualifying games against Bangladesh in May had been factored in.

"There's a lot of cricket in that space but he's also got a fair few commitments around the T20 leagues, and for us it's working back from us pinnacle events as a Cricket Ireland men's side," said Malan.

"One of those pinnacle events is playing Bangladesh at home and trying to qualify outright for the World Cup, so it's just trying to find an opportunity for him to be at home for a little period of time.

"Recoup, recover and really be excited and looking forward to playing Bangladesh [at home]."

Malan added that it was the "same sort of conversation" with Little.

"Going to the IPL is a life-changing opportunity and it creates opportunity for us to keep broadening our squad and our environment," he said.

"For us it's getting to the start of May when we play Bangladesh in the World Cup Super League qualification, and trying to have a full squad to pick from when people are fit and ready to play cricket.

"If we can have the six weeks in the sub-continent, we can expose a couple of young players to have some opportunity and experience."

Peter Moor (right) played eight Tests for Zimbabwe between 2016 and 2018

Moor is among 10 players named in the Test squads who have not played Test cricket for Ireland, although he did feature in eight games for Zimbabwe between 2016 and 2018.

South Africa-born Murray Commins is also included in the Test squad after making his Ireland debut in last month's ODI series in Zimbabwe.

Twenty-year-old Belfast man Matthew Humphreys receives a first Ireland call-up for both trips and is in contention to feature in all formats with the Irish also taking on Bangladesh in ODI and T20 games, in addition to a one-day series in Sri Lanka.

Another Belfast player, Matthew Foster, 23, is in line to make his international debut in Sri Lanka after being included in both the Test and ODI squads for that leg of the tour.

Paceman Craig Young returns after injury to be named in the ODI squads with his fellow North West Warriors bowler Conor Olphert set to feature in the T20 games in Bangladesh and one-day series in Sri Lanka.

With Ireland not having played a Test since the July 2019 game against England, Harry Tector is in line to make his debut in the format while Waringstown's James McCollum is back in the national set-up for the first time in two years after being selected in the Test squads.

Squad skipper Andrew Balbirnie will miss the concluding Sri Lanka ODI series which means that Stirling will take the captaincy for those two games.

Ireland squad for Bangladesh ODI series: Balbirnie (capt), M Adair, Campher, G Delany, Dockrell, Doheny, Hume, Humphreys, Little, McBrine, McCarthy, Stirling, Tector, Tucker, White.

T20 series v Bangladesh: Balbirnie (capt), M Adair, R Adair, Campher, G Delany, Dockrell, Hume, Humphreys, McCarthy, Olphert, Stirling, Tector, Tucker, White, Young.

Test v Bangladesh: Balbirnie (capt), M Adair, Campher, Commins, Dockrell, Hume, Humphreys, McBrine, McCarthy, McCollum, Moor, Tector, Tucker, White.

Test v Sri Lanka: Balbirnie (capt), Campher, Commins, Dockrell, Foster, Hume, Humphreys, McBrine, McCarthy, McCollum, Moor, Tector, Tucker, White.

ODI series v Sri Lanka: Stirling (capt), Campher, Commins, G Delany, Dockrell, Doheny, Foster, Hume, Humphreys, McBrine, Olphert, Tector, Tucker, Young.

BANGLADESH TOUR

ODIs: 18, 20, 23 March (Sylhet)

T20i: 27, 29 and 31 March (Chattogram)

Test: 4-8 April (Dhaka)

SRI LANKA TOUR

Test: 18-22 April (Galle)

ODIs: 26, 28 April (Colombo)