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Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter
CRICKET Ireland have confirmed at least three key players will miss the first part of the upcoming tour of Zimbabwe as they have been given the green light to participate in T20 cricket franchise tournaments around the globe.
Lorcan Tucker became the third player to be confirmed unavailable for the tour of Zimbabwe after he was cleared to play in the inaugural International League T20 in the United Arab Emirates.
Initially, the authorities had confirmed veteran top order batsman Paul Stirling and Josh Little would miss the first half of Ireland’s six-match tour of Zimbabwe next month, to play in T20 tournaments in the United Arab Emirates and South Africa.
Stirling, a regular on the global franchise circuit, will join the squad for the three ODIs between commitments in the UAE, while Little, who has a growing reputation in the shortest format, will also miss the three T20s at the start of the tour.
Ireland are set to tour Zimbabwe next month for a white ball series comprising three T20Is and as many One Day Internationals.
The tour will open with the T20I games on January 12. All the matches will be played at Harare Sports Club.
This week Cricket Ireland granted Tucker a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to permit to play UAE. The star wicketkeeper/batsman attracted the attention of international franchises following his impressive performances at the recent ICC T20 World Cup in Australia.
Despite missing their key players for this tour, Cricket Ireland National Selector Andrew White said franchise cricket was also key to the development of their team as a competitive force.
“The Selectors have recognised the development opportunity for Lorcan Tucker in taking up the franchise T20 tournament opportunity next month given the location and quality of players involved.
“While he had previously been named in the Irish squad for the Zimbabwe tour, we considered that the chance opportunity for Lorcan to play in the UAE franchise league would give him an experience that could greatly benefit his game, while allowing us an opportunity to expand our international talent pool,” said White.
Cricket Ireland have since drafted in former rugby player Ross Adair as replacement for Tucker. Before turning seriously to cricket, Adair — a right-handed batter and left-arm spinner — had forged a professional rugby union career and appeared for Ulster in the Pro12 competition in the 2014-15 season.
Ross, who bats right-handed and is a left-arm spin bowler, has played seven List A and 15 T20s so far, scoring 438 runs with one century and picking up four wickets.
“Given the extremely busy year ahead, we have taken advantage of this circumstance to bring in Ross Adair for his first international call up.
“Ross may be relatively new to representative cricket at this level but is very familiar with operating in a high performance set-up given his previous professional career in rugby.
“Since turning his focus to cricket, Ross has not only demonstrated a hard-working and dedicated approach to his game but has successfully adopted a dynamic and positive style of play in T20 cricket that reflects the philosophy that Heinrich and his staff have been instilling in our white-ball squads.
“Ross is still early on in his cricket development, and would likely have been selected for the Ireland Wolves first as a stepping-stone to international cricket, but we believe he has displayed the talent, skill and mindset that will hopefully see him make the step up successfully.
“Getting your first call-up to an international squad is always an exciting time, and we wish Ross well in the coming weeks,” said White.
Adair (28) is the brother of current Irish international, Mark Adair. If selected to play, it will make the pair the first set of brothers to play for Ireland in an international since Niall and Kevin O’Brien in the third ODI against Afghanistan in 2018.
Adair made his List A debut for Northern Knights in 2021, however first appeared for the Knights in a T20 match in August 2020. His last inter-provincial match was in July 2022 when he struck 111 from 49 balls and claimed 1-28 demonstrating his all-round talent.
“I’m absolutely delighted with the call up, but I’m not sure it’s really sunk in yet if I’m honest. It’s a huge honour for me and now I just can’t wait to get away on tour,” Ross tol the Cricket Ireland website.
“I have always wanted to push myself and get to as high a level as possible. I had a fairly open and honest conversation with Gary Wilson a couple of years ago — Gary is someone I trust very much and wouldn’t mince his words too often, so when he said that there was a chance — a small chance, but a chance nonetheless — that’s what I wanted.
“I love my cricket and to have the opportunity to potentially represent Ireland at the highest level with Mark, would mean the world to me,” he said.
Also granted permission to play in an upcoming franchise cricket opportunity is Harry Tector, who will feature in the new Nepal T20. However, Tector will join up with the Irish squad ahead of the Zimbabwe fixtures and not miss any international matches.
Ireland’s tour of Zimbabwe will feature three T20 Internationals, followed by three one-day internationals. The games begin on January 12 at Harare Sports Club.
Ireland T20I squad
Andrew Balbirnie (captain), Mark Adair, Ross Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Stephen Doheny, Fionn Hand, Graham Hume, Tyrone Kane, Barry McCarthy, Neil Rock, Harry Tector, Ben White.
Ireland ODI squad
Andrew Balbirnie (captain), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Stephen Doheny, Graham Hume, Tyrone Kane, Josh Little, Andy McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker.
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