Ireland have confirmed a strong 14-player squad for their upcoming three-match ODI series against England, starting on September 1. The side, which has the likes of Christina Coulter Reilly, Georgina Dempsey, Amy Hunter, Louise Little and Jane Maguire, will be led by Gaby Lewis. Arlene Kelly and Alice Tector also make their return to the side after recovering from their injury setbacks.
"Since starting in this role, I have come to appreciate two key aspects of the Ireland Women’s system. There is real competition for places in the short-term and there is an exciting depth of talent coming through the pipeline which is promising for the medium-to-long term,” Ireland women's selector Lauren Rowles said.
"To have genuine competition for places within a senior squad is important as it drives standards and raises the desire of players to achieve more with every opportunity they get. This makes my role harder, which is a good thing, as we try to match the skill sets offered by players to the roles that our tactics require. Form is crucial, but only one aspect that was considered. What we are looking for is to develop a squad that understands what is required at this level to succeed - and you can only do that through first-hand experience."
"That's why the ICC Women's Championship is so important. It provides a regular programme of fixtures against the world’s best sides, which in turn benefits the development and competitiveness of our players. Last month’s series against the West Indies was a case in point. While results didn’t go our way, the exposure that many of our players had to competing against one of the world’s best sides really drove the desire of our players to set their sights at that level," Rowles stated.
Ireland squad: Gaby Lewis (c), Christina Coulter Reilly, Georgina Dempsey, Amy Hunter, Arlene Kelly, Louise Little, Jane Maguire, Lara McBride, Kia McCartney, Cara Murray, Leah Paul, Orla Prendergast, Rebecca Stokell, Alice Tector