Little makes 'passionate' Ireland Test cricket promise

Josh Little has played 36 ODIs and 69 T20 internationals for Ireland

Fast bowler Josh Little is "passionate" about Test cricket and will definitely play the format for Ireland in the future.

Ireland are set to name their squad for a one-off Test against Zimbabwe in Belfast from 25-29 July in the next few days but Little will not be among the players involved.

The 24-year-old is one of Irish cricket's hottest properties and his ability to bowl in excess of 90mph would make him an asset to the Irish Test side.

He is yet to make an appearance in the longer format for Ireland, who have played seven Tests since they became a full member of the International Cricket Council in June 2017.

Last summer Cricket Ireland defended Little's absence from their side for a one-off Test against England at Lord's.

Little has prioritised white-ball cricket in his career so far and has become a regular on the global franchise circuit, including the lucrative Indian Premier League.

However, he said his "passion has always been playing for my country" and promised to make himself available for Tests at some stage.

"I sort of blocked off this [next] two years as pretty busy franchise-wise, and then after that I’ll be putting an eye on Test cricket," Little told BBC Sport.

"It’s definitely something I want to do, something I’m passionate about doing. I can guarantee I will play Test cricket at some stage.

"I love playing for Ireland, but equally franchise opportunities may not come around forever. It’s tough at times. Cricket Ireland have been nothing but accommodating. Sometimes it is a balancing act."

'Pretty dangerous for me'

Little played in last month's T20 World Cup for Ireland, where Paul Stirling's side failed to win a match and were on the end of a shock defeat by Canada.

He is currently waiting to make his debut for Los Angeles Knight Riders in Major League Cricket - a franchise tournament in the United States which is in its second season.

The left-arm quick bowler is concerned about the "risk of injury" of playing a Test match without enough overs under his belt, which in part explains his decision to delay playing the format.

He said: "I think people at home forget that there’s a lot of prep that goes into a Test match. Bowlers often need to get up to 30-40 overs a week, which is a build-up of over six weeks, in my opinion, to get to where you need to be.

"I’ve played about two or three red-ball games [actually six first-class games] in my whole career so I think that could be pretty dangerous for me.

"So I’m going to allow myself just to go for it when I want to go. Even if I go in the next year or two I'll be 26, with still potentially 10 years in Test cricket if my body holds up. I’m just not sure about the prep and the risk of injury."

Next week's match at Stormont will be the first time Test cricket has been staged in Northern Ireland.

Ireland's players prepared for the game against Zimbabwe with a four-day internal match at Malahide called the Emerald Challenge - the first time a domestic first-class match has been played in Ireland since 2019.

With Irish players no longer eligible to play in the County Championship in England as domestic players, Little believes the lack of regular first-class cricket in Ireland means they will continue to find it a "struggle" in Tests.

"We obviously had our first win against Afghanistan recently but to have consistent performances like the top teams you definitely need that infrastructure," added Little.

"All the top teams, that’s what they have in place and have had for a long time."