Ireland have called up top-order uncapped batsman Stephen Doheny and pacer Conor Olfert for two T20 Internationals. India At home at the end of this month.
Doheny and Olphert were both recently assigned retainer contracts by Cricket Ireland.
Doheny, 23, is the current leading run-scorer in the Inter-Provincial T20 Trophy competition with 158 runs at an average of 52.67 with the highest score of 74*. Doheny has scored valuable runs at the top of the order in the 50-over inter-provincial competition, scoring 146 runs at 36.50 with the highest score of 97.
The 26-year-old Olfert, who made his List A debut in 2020, has been at his best this season. The pacer was picked as the net bowler on the men’s tour of Ireland to the UAE in 2021. He has so far taken six wickets at 19.17 in the Inter-Provincial T20 Trophy and also picked up 6 wickets in the 50-over competition.
The team will be led by Andrew Balbirnie and include Mark Adair, Paul Stirling and Andrew McBrine for the two matches to be played on 26 and 28 June.
National men’s selectors chairman Andrew White said that while it was nice to see so many new faces in the team, choosing a team for the series was a challenging process.
“There aren’t many better challenges for a new national coach than to start his stint against the world’s number one ranked T20I team, India.
“Henrik [Malan] Since his arrival in Ireland has been working hard, traversing the island, getting to know players and familiarizing himself with the ever-increasing depth of talent – and it is this growing depth of talent that has made a challenging selection for first fixtures. The process is made in the men’s domestic season,” he said in a release issued by Cricket Ireland.
“The T20I squad has a familiar core to the team, but it is heartening to see a number of new faces call-up in Stefan Doheny and Conor Olfert.
“Both players have impressed at the inter-provincial level with consistent performances this season, while Doheny has also been on the back of a good tour of Namibia with Ireland Wolves. Olfert has bowled fast, especially in Comber last month. On good wickets in the U.S., and his selection gives us an opportunity to look at him as a tactical option for the rest of the year ahead.”
“As always, there are a lot of players who might just consider themselves unlucky for not making these squads, but runs and wickets are the currency we look for and the selectors believe that we have made such squads. Selected who recognize and reward consistent form and performance on the field,” added Andrew White.
Ireland T20 squad for India series: Andrew Balbirnie (capt), Mark Adair, Curtis Camper, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Stephen Doheny, Josh Little, Andrew McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Conor Olfert, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Craig Young.
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