Senior stars and three Munster Reds included in squad for Ireland Wolves tour of Bangladesh

Ireland's Curtis Campher plays a ramp shot to reach his half century during the Second ODI against England last year. Picture: Mike Hewitt

Mark Adair and Curtis Campher are among the bigger names in the Ireland Wolves squad for the upcoming tour to Bangladesh later this month.

Campher exploded onto the international scene last year and has three scores of over 50 in his ODI career after hitting back-to-back half-centuries against England in his first two appearances at that level.

Adair, who featured in the Test match at Lord's in 2019 joins Campher, Harry Tector, James McCollum, Gareth Delany and Lorcan Tucker who all featured in the recent 3-0 senior series defeat to Afghanistan in the World Cup Super League.

There is also youth in the squad for the eight-match tour with the likes of Ben White getting a taste of Asian conditions for the first time in his career.

Jonathan Garth, Neil Rock and Cardiff-born Jeremy Lawlor, who all featured for Munster in the 2020 Inter-Provincial Trophy, are also included in the 16-man squad.

The tour starts with a four-day match against Bangladesh A beginning on February 26 before five 50-over games and two 20-over clashes between the two sides.

George Dockrell, who has played over 160 limited-overs games for Ireland, but has since lost his central contract, will captain the side in the four-day game with Harry Tector skipper for the rest of the tour.

The tour to Bangladesh was confirmed a day after the senior men's team trip to Zimbabwe was postponed for Covid-related reasons.

However, authorities in Bangladesh are confident of being able to provide a safe tour for both sides.

“To get this tour approved is a credit to both cricket boards and we are looking forward to a competitive series against tough opponents in subcontinent conditions,” said chair of selectors, Andrew White.

“The squad we have selected is a strong one, many of which have some senior international experience at this stage. However, the reality is that these players are still young and have much still to do in order to develop and be successful on the international stage on a consistent basis. The tour adds to this development path and it provides an ideal opportunity to experience vastly different cricketing conditions to what they will be used to.

“Players like Curtis Campher and Ben White have never played at this level in Asia before, and many others have limited exposure to the conditions expected. Given we are in a cycle where two of the next three World Cups are in similar conditions as these, it is imperative we provide the necessary experience for our young players to learn their craft accordingly.

“We also envisioned that this tour would allow a number of players wanting to force their way into contention for the Zimbabwe senior men’s tour – however, with that tour now postponed, it seems even more crucial that these players get a volume and quality of cricket under their belts,” added White.