Paul Stirling to join Ireland Test squad for Sri Lanka tour

Paul Stirling will join up with Ireland's Test squad for the Sri Lanka tour and will be available for selection for the second Test to be played in Galle between 24-28 April 2023. Originally, set to join the squad in Sri Lanka for the ODI series that was planned, but with Sri Lanka focusing on more Test cricket, the one-off Test series has now been made a two-match series. 

With the scheduled Bangladesh T20I series in Ireland postponed, Stirling now has now decided to link up with the Test squad for the second game. “Paul was originally set to join the squad in Sri Lanka for the ODI series that was originally planned. However, with those fixtures now converted to a Test match, and the scheduled Bangladesh T20I series in Ireland postponed, he will now have a greater focus on red-ball cricket and will join the Test squad for that second Test," Andrew White, National Men’s Selector at Cricket Ireland, said.

One of the most popular Irish players, Stirling is a regular in various leagues around the world but has turned up for Ireland without ever giving it a miss. The batter has represented in every single Test that Ireland have played so far since 2018 and the only Test against Bangladesh and the first match against Sri Lanka will be the first time he will give a red-ball match for Ireland a miss.

Ireland Squad for Sri Lanka series

Andrew Balbirnie (Capt), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Murray Commins, George Dockrell, Fionn Hand, Graham Hume, Matthew Humphreys, Tom Mayes, Andrew McBrine, James McCollum, Paul Stirling*, PJ Moor, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White.