Delany back in Ireland squad for Bangladesh tour

Laura Delany was replaced as Ireland captain by Gaby Lewis last month

Former captain Laura Delany returns to the Ireland squad for the six-match white-ball tour of Bangladesh which takes place between 27 November and 9 December.

The 31-year-old suffered an ankle injury during the drawn T20 series against Sri Lanka in August, which forced her to miss the rest of the home summer matches against Sri Lanka and England.

Opener Gaby Lewis was announced as Delany's successor as captain last month but coach Ed Joyce has welcomed the all-rounder's return to the squad.

"Welcoming back Laura Delany from injury will make a massive difference to that middle order," he said.

"Her experience and quality across both formats is key, but she also balances the team beautifully for us in terms of her being able to bowl so it gives us a chance to play an extra batter, if needed."

There is only change from the ODI squad for the T20 series as Merrion's Rebecca Stokell replaces Phoenix's Alice Tector.

'We have a strong batting group'

Lewis will lead a squad that has an average age of less than 23 years, which also happens to be the skipper's age.

"We've picked three spinners as we feel going to that part of the world may potentially require playing all three of them," added Joyce.

"And then on the batting side of things, I think we have a strong group that have shown they can get big scores in both formats."

After a drawn T20 series, Ireland clinched a 2-1 victory over Sri Lanka in the one-day series.

A month later, they claimed one win in the three-match ODI series against a youthful England side, before a 1-1 draw in the subsequent T20 series.

Ireland will face Bangladesh in the one-day games in Mirpur on 27 November, 30 November and 2 December, before the action moves to Sylhet for the T20s which take place on 5, 7 and 9 December.

Bangladesh are eighth and ninth in the International Cricket Council's ODI and T20 rankings, with the Irish rated in 11th and 10th spots in the white-ball formats.

Ireland ODI squad

Gaby Lewis (Phoenix, ,capt), Ava Canning (Leinster), Christina Coulter Reilly (Clontarf), Laura Delany (Leinster), Sarah Forbes (Pembroke), Amy Hunter (Instonians/Malahide), Arlene Kelly (Malahide), Aimee Maguire (The Hills), Jane Maguire (The Hills), Cara Murray (Waringstown/Clontarf), Leah Paul (Merrion), Orla Prendergast (Pembroke), Una Raymond-Hoey (Ringwood), Freya Sargent (Clontarf), Alice Tector (Phoenix).

T20 squad

Gaby Lewis, Ava Canning, Christina Coulter Reilly, Laura Delany, Sarah Forbes, Amy Hunter, Arlene Kelly, Aimee Maguire, Jane Maguire, Cara Murray, Leah Paul, Orla Prendergast, Una Raymond-Hoey, Freya Sargent , Rebecca Stokell (Merrion).