Cricket: Two former captains added to Ireland backroom team for T20 World Cup

Gary Wilson captained the Ireland side who qualified for the event in November 2019

Gary Wilson in action for Ireland. Picture: INPHO/Andrew Fosker

Former captains Gary Wilson and William Porterfield have been added to Ireland's backroom team for the upcoming World T20 which gets underway in the UAE next month.

Wilson captained the Ireland side who qualified for the event in November 2019 while Porterfield captained Ireland to the famous win over England in the 2011 World Cup as well as leading the team into their first ever Test match in 2018.

Former wicketkeeper Wilson was head coach of the North West Warriors side who recently won the Inter-Pro T20 trophy with Porterfield, still playing, was his assistant.

Ryan Eagleson, announced recently as the bowling coach for the T20 World Cup, has also today to Dubai after successfully coaching the Ireland U19s to World Cup qualification at the weekend.

The coaches, like the playing squad, will undergo a six-day mandatory hotel quarantine upon arrival in Dubai ahead of the team’s preparation camp scheduled to begin on Friday.

Ireland will play six matches before their World Cup campaign gets underway on October 18, facing Scotland, the UAE (in a three-match series), Papua New Guinea and Bangladesh.

Ireland enter the competition in the preliminary group stage where they are drawn with Sri Lanka, Netherlands and Namibia with the top two progressing to the Super 12 stage.