Ireland has announced its squad for the upcoming one-off Test against Zimbabwe, scheduled to begin on July 25th in Belfast. The 14-member squad features the uncapped leg spinner Gavin Hoey, marking his debut in the international Test arena.
Hoey, 22, earned his spot through a series of strong performances in domestic cricket across all formats. His inclusion adds a third slow bowling option to the squad, complementing veteran off-spinner Andy McBrine and left-arm spinner Matthew Humphreys. This Test will be Ireland’s second home game in the longest format, their debut being against Pakistan in 2018.
Ireland Squad:
- Andrew Balbirnie (c)
- Mark Adair
- Curtis Campher
- Gavin Hoey
- Graham Hume
- Matthew Humphreys
- Andy McBrine
- Barry McCarthy
- James McCollum
- PJ Moor
- Paul Stirling
- Harry Tector
- Lorcan Tucker
- Craig Young
National selector Andrew White expressed confidence in the two young spinners, Humphreys and Hoey. Humphreys, despite a challenging debut in Sri Lanka, has shown resilience and improvement, which was evident in his recent performances for the Ireland Wolves and the Emerging Ireland side. He took 10 wickets in a recent series against the West Indies Academy, displaying consistency and skill.
White is also optimistic about Hoey’s potential impact. “Hoey is a talented leg spinner, and his ability to spin the ball both ways gives us a strong wicket-taking option,” said White. “He’s been on our radar for a while and can play across all three formats. This is an opportunity for him to come into the Test squad and get used to the environment.”
Ireland’s squad, led by Andrew Balbirnie, largely features players who have been regulars in their red-ball squads. The team will be looking to leverage their home advantage and the mix of experience and new talent to secure a strong performance against Zimbabwe.
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