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Ireland Name Balbirnie-led Squad For Test Against NZ, Stirling, Little Out With Injuries

World Test Championship: Cricket Ireland has announced a squad led by Andrew Balbirnie to take the field when they host New Zealand for a one-off Test match at Stormont, Belfast, from May 27 to 30. Balbirnie is all set to lead the side for the 10th time in the longer format. Ireland have also confirmed the absence of Paul Stirling, Barry McCarthy, Josh Little, Gavin Hoey, and Jordan Neill, who are all ruled out due to injury. Hoey is sidelined due to a side strain, while Stirling is nursing a calf injury. McCarthy is ruled out until 2027 following an ACL tear, while Neill is recovering from a shoulder muscle injury, and Campher is yet to resume bowling. Four players Jake Egan, Tom Mayes, Liam McCarthy, and Reuben Wilson are in line to make their Test debuts if selected in the playing eleven. This will be Irelands 13th Test overall and their first against New Zealand. Ireland have won three Tests to date, including its first Test at Stormont in 2024 against Zimbabwe. Balbirnie is the only player to feature in all 12 Irish Tests so far, but he will be leading a severely depleted squad against the Blackcaps, who won the 2021 World Test Championship. After the Test against New Zealand, Ireland will host reigning Mens T20 World Cup winners India for two T20Is in Stormont, Belfast, on June 26 and 28. It is followed by them hosting Afghanistan for five ODIs from August 5-14 in Bready and Stormont, Belfast. After this, Ireland will first travel to Nepal for a whiteball series under a fiveyear strategic partnership, before heading to the UAE for a warmweather training camp and a whiteball series against the hosts, with Irish players also set to feature in the ILT20 as part of a fiveyear agreement with the Emirates Cricket Board. After the Test against New Zealand, Ireland will host reigning Mens T20 World Cup winners India for two T20Is in Stormont, Belfast, on June 26 and 28. It is followed by them hosting Afghanistan for five ODIs from August 5-14 in Bready and Stormont, Belfast. Also Read: Live Cricket Score Ireland squad: Andrew Balbirnie (c), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Cade Carmichael, Stephen Doheny, Jake Egan, Matthew Humphreys, Tom Mayes, Andrew McBrine, Liam McCarthy, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Reuben Wilson, Craig Young Article Source: IANS