Ireland have announced their 14-man squad for the five-match ODI series against Afghanistan, starting Wednesday, August 5. The series will see the return of Paul Stirling, who was forced to sit out the marquee India T20Is due to an injury he suffered at the T20 World Cup 2026 earlier in the year. He will lead the side for the first three games of the series. If he manages to remain fit, Stirling will continue, or the team management can consider managing his workload.ย
Newly T20-capped Jai Moondra and Ben Calitz have also been called up for the series and may even be handed the debut cap in the 50-overs format.ย
There are a few absentees in the team as well. Josh Little, Matt Hollard, Craig Young, Barry McCarthy, Jordan Neill and David Delany will all be missing out on playing against Afghanistan in the first three matches. All of them are unavailable for selection either due to injury or return-to-play protocol. The team for the last two ODIs will be revealed after evaluating player fitness and a determination will be made regarding any necessary changes.
Upon the squadโs selection, Head Coach Gary Wilson, who will be the coach in charge for the series, expressed his confidence in the team and his enthusiasm for the series.ย
โI am very much looking forward to the series against Afghanistan. These are our first ODIs in 15 months, and in the intervening period, many players have put their hand up for selection, which is a great place to be,โ he said.ย
โThere is a great rivalry that has built up over the years between the two teams, and I expect that to continue during this series. We have selected a squad that is reflective of the way in which we want to play,โ he further added.ย
Ireland vs Afghanistan series schedule
The series will be played on an 11-day window. The first match will be hosted on August 5 and the final on August 15.ย The first two opening fixtures are set to be played at Bready on August 5 and August 7. The series then shifts to Stormont for the remaining three matches, played on August 10, August 12, and August 15.
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Ireland’s ODI squad for the first three ODIs:ย ย
Paul Stirling (c), Mark Adair, Andrew Balbirnie, Ben Calitz, Curtis Campher, Cade Carmichael, George Dockrell, Gavin Hoey, Andrew McBrine, Liam McCarthy, Byron McDonough, Jai Moondra, Harry Tector and Lorcan Tucker
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