Cricket Ireland has announced a 14-member squad for the upcoming One Day (ODI) series against Pakistan, scheduled later this month. The two teams will face each other in a couple of 50-over matches at Stormont in Ireland on 28 and 30 May, 2011.
The Ireland squad for the crucial series includes William Porterfield (Captain), Alex Cusack, Trent Johnston, Nigel Jones, Ed Joyce, Niall McDonnell, John Mooney, Kevin O`Brien, Niall O`Brien, Boyd Rankin, Paul Stirling,Albert Van der Merwe, Andrew White, and, Gary Wilson.
The crew contains 13 out of 15 players, who represented Ireland in the recent ICC World Cup 2011. The two players to miss out are Andre Botha, who recently announced his retirement from international cricket, andGeorge Dockrell, who is currently suffering from a severe shoulder injury.
The only new entry in the Irish international team is opening batsman, Niall McDonnell, who shot into prominence by smashing a thrilling century for Ireland A against ‘M.C.C’ last season.
McDonnell, who is professionally a school teacher, is enormously delighted over his call-up for the national team. Expressing his joy over his selection, McDonnell said, 'I can honestly say that I can't find a word to describe how I felt when Peter Gillespie rang me; I suppose it was a mixture of excitement, raw nerves and a little trepidation at being involved at this level”.
The 31-year old opener added, 'It's a dream come true in many ways and the prospect of batting with the likes of Paul Stirling, William Porterfield, or, Ed Joyce is some motivation”.
McDonnell further described that the series against Pakistan is a great chance for him to make a mark at the international level. He vowed to make the most of this opportunity and cement his place in the national side.
Meanwhile, the Ireland coach, Phil Simmons, hoped that the players would come up with a good performance in home conditions. On the 14-member squad, the coach stated, 'There aren't a lot of surprises as we haven't had any cricket since the World Cup finished”.
Recalling Ireland’s historic victory over the Men in Green in the 2007 World Cup, Simmons claimed that the Irish team has the potential to repeat such history.
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