Ireland name squad for Women's T20 World Cup
SOUTH AFRICA-BOUND: Rebecca Stokell batting for Ireland against Australia in July 2022. Pic: Oliver McVeigh
Ireland have named a 15-player squad for the 2023 ICC Women's T20 World Cup in South Africa.
The tournament represents Ireland Women’s return to World Cup involvement after last appearing in the 2018 Women’s T20 World Cup.
The squad will be captained by Laura Delaney and will travel to South Africa at the end of January.
The tournament runs from February 10 to 26 and Ireland will begin the group stage campaign with a mouth-watering clash with England on February 13.
There will be two groups of five playing in a round robin format with the top two sides from each group progressing to the semi-finals.
Also in Ireland's group are India, Pakistan, and West Indies. Ireland are coached by former Ireland star Ed Joyce.
Before the tournament begins, Ireland will play four warm-up games, two games against Bangladesh as part of a preparation camp in Cape Town from January 28 to February 2, and two official warm-up games against Sri Lanka and Australia.
Carrie Archer, National Selector, said:
“It was incredibly rewarding and encouraging to see our squad progress so far both on and off the field in 2022, recording a number of breakthrough results as a team and as individuals. While there were numerous highlights, the most gratifying of all was the successful T20 World Cup qualifying campaign. We haven’t featured in a global tournament since 2018. While we came heartbreakingly close at the 2019 qualifier, we ultimately fell short, so this year’s qualification felt like redemption and reward for the hard work the players, coaches and support staff have put in.
“The squad’s average age is only 24, with most players aged between 17 and 23. This age profile is an exciting aspect for Irish cricket as this group will hopefully be together for a good few years to come, and will only get better over time.
“Laura [Delany] – already Ireland’s longest-serving captain - will lead the side again, while we welcome Georgina Dempsey back into the squad after she missed the recent Pakistan tour due to educational commitments.”
Richard Holdsworth, High Performance Director, said:
“Ed [Joyce], Glenn [Querl] as assistant coach, and all of the support staff have helped mould a squad that has increasing confidence in its ability to consistently perform and succeed and a determined belief that they belong at global tournaments like this.
“The squad will undoubtedly benefit from the week-long prep camp in Cape Town, which will help them acclimatise to conditions ahead of the official programme and we thank Bangladesh for agreeing to play two warm-ups during that period.
“Participating in a World Cup is always an exciting experience for athletes, and to see another Irish women’s sporting side playing on the global stage we hope may help inspire a new generation to take up the sport.”
Laura Delany (captain), Georgina Dempsey, Amy Hunter, Shauna Kavanagh, Arlene Kelly, Gaby Lewis, Louise Little, Sophie MacMahon, Jane Maguire, Cara Murray, Leah Paul, Orla Prendergast, Eimear Richardson, Rebecca Stokell, Mary Waldron.
January 31: Ireland Women v Bangladesh Women (Cape Town); February 2: Ireland Women v Bangladesh Women (Cape Town).
February 5: Ireland Women v Sri Lanka Women (Stellenbosch); February 8: Ireland Women v Australia Women (Stellenbosch).
February 13: Ireland Women v England Women (Paarl); February 15: Ireland Women v Pakistan Women (Cape Town); February 17: Ireland Women v West Indies Women (Cape Town); February 20: Ireland Women v India Women (Port Elizabeth).
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