Ireland Names Uncapped Pace Bowler Matthew Foster in Squad for Afghanistan Series, Balbirnie and Stirling Lead

Ireland cricket gears up for a crucial multi-format series against Afghanistan, unveiling a squad brimming with fresh talent. Pace bowler Matthew Foster, a name unfamiliar to international cricket fans, finds himself thrust into the spotlight, potentially making his debut across all formats later this month.

Uncapped Quartet Set for Potential Debuts

Foster, representing Northern Knights and CSNI in domestic cricket, is one of four uncapped players included in the much-changed Test squad compared to the one that faced Afghanistan in 2019. Barry McCarthy, Theo van Woerkom, and Craig Young also stand a chance to earn their maiden international caps when the one-off Test kicks off in Abu Dhabi on February 28th.

Andrew Balbirnie retains his captaincy for the red-ball game, while Paul Stirling, who etched his name in history by becoming one of only 25 players to score centuries across all formats last year, will lead the white-ball charge.

Building on Momentum After Zimbabwe Clean Sweep

After a dominant clean sweep of their ODI and T20I series in Zimbabwe, Ireland is riding a wave of confidence heading into this series. They’ll have a chance to acclimatize to the UAE conditions with a training camp in Spain and a five-day pre-Test period.

Selector Andrew White acknowledges the significant transformation Ireland has undergone since their last multi-format tour against Afghanistan in 2019. “This series is crucial in our preparations ahead of a big summer, which includes the T20 World Cup,” he states, emphasizing the importance of this contest. “I would expect this to be a hard-fought series – one I’m very much looking forward to.”

Can Ireland’s new faces make their mark? Can they overcome the challenge of a strong Afghan side? This multi-format series promises to be an exciting test for the revamped Irish team.

Test squad: Mark Adair, Andrew Balbirnie (capt), Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Matthew Foster, Graham Hume, Andy McBrine, Barry McCarthy, James McCollum, PJ Moor, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Theo van Woerkom, Craig Young. 

ODI squad: Mark Adair, Andrew Balbirnie, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Matthew Foster, Graham Hume, Andy McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Neil Rock, Paul Stirling (capt), Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Theo van Woerkom, Craig Young. 

T20I squad: Mark Adair, Ross Adair, Andrew Balbirnie, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Graham Hume, Josh Little, Barry McCarthy, Neil Rock, Paul Stirling (capt), Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White, Craig Young.

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