Kevin O’Brien, Stirling return for England series

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Ireland
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Boyd Rankin misses out from Ireland’s ODI squad for the upcoming two-match away series against England as he will continue to nurse his back problem. However, with the presence of Kevin O’Brien and Paul Stirling returning from their respective injuries, Ireland have enough experience in their squad.

Kevin O’Brien had injured his hamstring while taking part in the ODI series against Afghanistan but having recovered, he is all set to shepherd the middle-order. All-rounder Paul Stirling, who was out with a finger injury during their Intercontinental Cup match against Afghanistan, is said to have recovered in time as well. While these two are coming back from their injuries, the 21-year-old legspinner Jacob Mulder will sit out with a back problem.

“There’s no doubt that the games against England will be tough but we’ve got some hard cricket under our belts this past few months and that will stand us in good stead for the challenges that await,” Ireland skipper William Porterfield said. “We’re all determined to do well, and while we’ll certainly respect England, there’s absolutely no fear factor there.”

This would be the first time Ireland will play ODIs against England in England, with the two games slated to be played at Bristol and Lord’s, before taking part in a tri-series involving Bangladesh and New Zealand in Dublin.

Squad: William Porterfield (c), Andrew Balbirnie, Peter Chase, George Dockrell, Ed Joyce, Tim Murtagh, Andrew McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Kevin O’Brien, Niall O’Brien, Paul Stirling, Stuart Thompson, Gary Wilson (wk), Craig Young