Cricket: Campher returns to Ireland squad for South Africa ODIs

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William Porterfield part of ODI squad to add experience, following Kevin O'Brien's retirement

Curtis Campher leaps into his delivery stride

Ireland will welcome Curtis Campher back into their squad for next month's World Cup Super League series against South Africa following ankle surgery, and have handed a maiden international call-up to middle-order batter William McClintock for the T20I series that follows.

Ireland have opted to stick with the majority of the squad that slipped to a 2-1 series defeat in Netherlands last month, a result which has further damaged their prospects of automatic qualification for the 2023 World Cup, but Campher returns following an injury sustained on Ireland Wolves duty earlier in the summer.

Campher replaces Kevin O'Brien, who recently announced his ODI retirement, in the squad, while 21-year-old left-arm spinner Graham Kennedy was preferred to the legspinner Ben White in the only other change from the group that toured the Netherlands. Gareth Delany, the legspinning allrounder, remains injured.

William Porterfield, the senior top-order batter, is also retained in the squad despite managing only five runs in two innings in the Netherlands, extending a lean run for him in the format. Andrew White, the chair of selectors, said: "With the recent ODI retirement of Kevin O'Brien, the value of having the experience of William Porterfield in the set-up is as crucial as ever, and his recent form at inter-provincial level has demonstrated that he is still hungry to succeed.

"The World Cup Super League series against South Africa represents our first such fixtures on home soil, and while a tough challenge awaits, we are confident the squad we have selected provides Graham Ford [head coach] and Andrew Balbirnie [captain] with plenty of options."

The T20I series will be Ireland's first since March 2020, following various cancellations due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and there are three uncapped players in McClintock, White and the wicketkeeper-batter Neil Rock who could be in line for debuts.

McClintock, the North-West Warriors batter, is third on the run charts in the ongoing Interpro T20 competition, and was described as filling a "power-hitting mould" by White.

"Since William's involvement in the Under-19s World Cup in 2015 - at which he hit two half-centuries - we have known about his potential," White said. "This year we have seen evidence of that potential - not just as a power-hitter, but he has played a number of intelligent innings and been one of the key reasons the North West Warriors have been successful this season.

"Ben White and Neil Rock also make the T20I squad on merit. Ben has impressed many observers, particularly over the last 12 months, bowling with consistency, accuracy and - most importantly - he has been taking wickets regularly. Pebbles [Rock] has been in and around selectors thoughts for a while, and offers a great back-up keeping option and skilful lower-order batting in this format.

"Regarding the T20I squad, we're looking at the series as a chance to expose a wider pool of players to the international arena and look at combinations ahead of the T20 World Cup in October."

ODI squad: Andy Balbirnie (captain), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Graham Kennedy, Josh Little, Andrew McBrine, Graeme McCarter, Barry McCarthy, William Porterfield, Simi Singh, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Craig Young.

T20I squad: Andy Balbirnie (captain), Mark Adair, George Dockrell, Shane Getkate, Josh Little, Barry McCarthy, William McClintock, Kevin O'Brien, Neil Rock, Simi Singh, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White, Craig Young.

Fixtures: ODI series: 1st ODI - July 11, 2nd ODI - July 13, 3rd ODI - July 16 (all Malahide), T20I series: 1st T20I - July 19 (Malahide), 2nd T20I - July 22, 3rd T20I - July 24 (both Stormont)

 

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