The 14-man Ireland squad for this month's historic Test match with England at Lord's has been revealed.
The four-day Test (July 24-27) is only Ireland's third since being granted full-member status by the ICC and their first ever at the home of cricket.
William Porterfield will captain Ireland for the Test, with Chair of Men's Selectors Andrew White believing they have the right blend to battle England, "The historic nature of this Test match will not be lost on anyone, however, the players will not be overawed by the occasion.
"I think we demonstrated the fight and talent we possess in the recent ODI against England at Malahide, and I expect the players will look to be just as competitive in the Test arena."
There's no room for left-arm spinner George Dockrell who was also dropped for the ODI series with Zimbabwe. The selectors seem to have opted for pace with Mark Adair and Craig Young picked alongside last week's one-day hero Tim Murtagh.
12 May 2018; Tim Murtagh of Ireland appeals for a wicket during day two of the International Cricket Test match between Ireland and Pakistan at Malahide, in Co. Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/SportsfileOn loading his attack with pace, White says, "We have stated all along that as Selectors we are looking for players not only in-form but displaying consistent performances, and I believe we have selected a squad that reflects this.
"It’s also a squad that balances experience and emerging talent, which is necessary in looking to the future in this format of the game.
"This may only be our third Test, but we have 11 more to play over the next three years and our two Tests to date have shown glimpses of the potential we possess.”
Ireland's previous Test outings saw them lose by 5-wickets to Pakistan in Malahide in May of 2018, and suffering a 7-wicket loss to Afghanistan in India in March of this year.
Last week's ODI series victory over Zimbabwe will also have buoyed the squad according to White, "We often say that this is a team in transition, but recent performances at home give us great optimism that we are on the right path and will come to Lord’s with confidence and belief."
Ireland will also face a Middlesex 2nd XI at Merchant's Taylor's School as a warm-up on July 18-19.
Ireland squad:
William Porterfield (Captain), Mark Adair, Andrew Balbirnie, Andrew McBrine, James McCollum, Tim Murtagh, Kevin O’Brien, Boyd Rankin, Simi Singh, Paul Stirling, Stuart Thompson, Lorcan Tucker, Gary Wilson, Craig Young.
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