CRICKET:Ireland name T20 squad for Ed Joyce Testimonial match against Sussex Sharks

The match is part of the Ed Joyce Testimonial Year programme, an honour bestowed on him by Sussex Cricket to recognise his service to the county side that he played for from 2009 to 2016, and captained from mid-2012 to 2015.

With an extended view to the ICC World T20 Qualifiers in 2019, selectors have considered this fixture as an ideal opportunity as both vital preparation time for the upcoming T20 Internationals against India (27 and 29 June), while allowing a wider pool of players to gain greater experience playing within the senior squad.

Andrew White, Chairman of National Men’s Selectors for Cricket Ireland, spoke about this theme following announcement of the squad.

“We said before the recent T20I Tri-Series in the Netherlands that we were keen to rotate the squad and experiment a little to see if we could find the right combination of players for the right roles.

“Our upcoming series against India is a showcase event for our team, but our gradual build towards the World T20 Qualifiers next year is a key milestone we need to ensure we are ready for – we need to have a squad that will be competitive, with a good shot at getting through to the Tournament in 2020.”

“With this in mind, the Selectors have included Josh Little, and I’d view him as the perfect example of the type of young player we’re keen to integrate into the senior squad.”

Dubliner Josh Little plays for Pembroke Cricket Club and features regularly for Leinster Lightning in the Hanley Energy Inter-Provincial Series. He made his first senior appearance for Ireland in 2016, becoming the youngest debutant ever to play for Ireland.

“Josh has proven capabilities and has shown great potential at this form of the game,” said White. “Being a left-arm seamer, he offers variation to the attack, and also adds to our batting depth with his late-order hard hitting.”