Injuries hurt Ireland

Ireland have been forced into naming a understrength team with Boyd Rankin, Andre Botha and Dave Langford-Smith all out with injuries.

Jeremy Bray and Eoin Morgan have declared themselves unavailable while Peter Gillespie has retired from international cricket.

Ireland coach Phil Simmons was upbeat on the selections however telling the BBC that “The positive aspect to this is that a number of the younger players in the squad will now get a chance to show me what they are capable of.”

Simmons went onto say “They have the opportunity to firmly establish themselves in the squad. I’m already starting to look ahead to the World Cup qualifiers in the UAE in 2009, and the composition of the team.”

Ireland play India on 23rd June followed by a match against South Africa on 24th June.

Ireland Squad
T Johnston (captain), K Carroll, A Cusack, T Fourie, D Joyce, G Kidd, K McCallan, K O’Brien, N O’Brien, W Porterfield, R Whelan, A White, G Wilson.