Ireland National Cricket Team
BATSMEN
Andrew Balbirnie
Profile
Andrew Balbirnie, a talented middle-order batsman who's a product of Ireland Under-19s, captained the squad in the 2010 Under-19 World Cup but had a disastrous outing as he scored only 31 runs from 5 games in the tournament. Prior to that, he progressed through age-group cricket. He was later a member of Ireland's 2010 ICC World Cricket League Division One winning team. His ODI debut came in the same year against Scotland where he was dismissed cheaply for 1 in a low scoring game and it was only in 2014 that Balbirnie transformed himself into a more reliable batter for Ireland.
After getting his degree from Cardiff University, Balbirnie signed up with Middlesex. He was fantastic during the 2015 Cricket World Cup acclimatisation tour of Australia and New Zealand, finishing as one of Ireland's top run-scorers. Playing against New Zealand A in Dubai, Balbirnie went berserk, hitting 129 off just 96 balls against an intimidating bowling attack which consisted of the likes of Kyle Mills, Doug Bracewell, Adam Milne and Matt Henry.
And that confidence rubbed on to him as he tallied 236 runs with a strike-rate of more than 90, third-highest for Ireland, in the 2015 World Cup from 6 games. Ireland punched above their weight in the tournament and started off their campaign brilliantly, winning their first two games against West Indies and UAE respectively, only to squander the form as they managed just one win in their next four games and missed out on qualification for the next round. But Balbarnie was the find of the World Cup for Ireland, emerging as the third-highest run-scorer for his team with 236 runs. He made his presence felt with a stubborn knock of 97 against Zimbabwe in Hobart and established himself as a vital cog in Ireland's wheel.
Injuries are part and parcel of a cricketer's career. Balbirnie suffered a career-threatening injury after aggravating his hip during the T20 World Cup in India in 2016 that kept him out of action for the most part of that season. To rub salt into the wounds, Middlesex parted ways with him after five seasons after he had played just two first-class games, three List A games and seven T20s for the club.
Almost a year later, Balbirnie made an inspiring comeback into the national side and struck a quickfire half-century which propelled Ireland to a series win against UAE. It was only upwards for him from there as he scored his maiden FC ton in the Intercontinental Cup in August 2017. In 2018, Balbirnie was named in Ireland’s squad for their first ever Test match, a game against Pakistan on home soil at Malahide. Balbirnie, however historic the occasion may have been, had an outing to forget as he bagged a pair.
Fast forward to 2019, however, Balbirnie kept churning out runs in all formats and had established himself in Ireland’s setup. With William Porterfield and Gary Wilson stepping away from captaincy in late-2019, Balbirnie, who’d already led Ireland on occasions previously, was handed the reins in all formats.
Balbirnie was at the forefront of two of Ireland’s best wins in recent years. Starring with the bat and scoring a superb century, Balbirnie led Ireland to their first ODI win over South Africa in 2021. Somewhat emulating their historic win over England at the 2011 Cricket World Cup, Ireland went on to edge past their neighbours across the Irish Sea in the 2022 T20 World Cup as well and Balbirnie was at the helm of that effort with a 47-ball 62.
Leading by example and inspiring a new generation of Irish superstars, Balbirnie has been at the crux of Ireland’s setup as they continue their transition from an ambitious associate nation to an established Test playing one.
James McCollum
Profile
James McCollum is an Irish batting all-rounder who also bowls some effective seam-ups when required. He has maintained an average of 55 in 12 first-class matches, showcasing his consistency at the domestic level, including a couple of hundreds and six fifties in just 19 innings. His 5 first-class wickets came in a surprise five-wicket haul against the North West Warriors.
McCollum made his first-class debut on 28 March 2017 for Durham MCCU against Gloucestershire as part of the Marylebone Cricket Club(MCC) University series. Before he was handed a first-class debut, he played for the Northern Knights in the 2016 Inter-provincial Championship in Ireland. His Twenty20 debut came for the Northern Knights in the 2017 Inter-Provincial Trophy on 23 June 2017.
He made his List A debut for the same side in the 2017 Inter-Provincial Cup in August 2017. He also ended up at the top of the run-charts for the Northern Knights in the 2018 Inter-Provincial Championship, racking up 442 runs in just four games. As a result of these performances, in December 2018, he was one of nineteen players to be awarded a central contract by Cricket Ireland for the 2019 season. In January 2019, he was named in Ireland's Test and One Day International (ODI) squads for their series against Afghanistan in India - a bit of a shock, since he has been unable to carry his first-class performances to the List A and T20 formats.
William Porterfield
Profile
For serene and solid William Porterfield, captaincy has been a natural progression. He has captained Ireland at all levels from Under-13 upwards. He was a part of the squad in the Under-19 World Cup in 2004 and captained Ireland A before taking over the captaincy of the senior side from Trent Johnston in 2008. So, on Ireland's red-letter day, on the eve of their first-ever Test match after being recognized by ICC as a full member team, Porterfield was ready.
A high backlift and a strong back-foot play are the traits that make William Porterfield a solid opener for Ireland. His penchant to stay on the back foot and favor the horizontal bat shots has ensured that pace and bounce have never been an issue for him to deal. A natural puller and cutter of the cricket ball, the southpaw has been there for Ireland through every thick and thin.
His one-day career could not have started on a more perfect note. Porterfield made his debut against Scotland in 2006. After a couple of games, he shot to limelight by hitting two wonderful back-to-back tons, first against Bermuda and then, Kenya. In the 2007 World Cup, he was awarded Man of the Match for his fantastic 85 against Bangladesh in a Super Eight game. Barring that his tournament was nothing to write home about.
His performances in the 50 overs World Cup in 2011 was inspiring as they managed to defeat England in one of the major upsets of the tournament. In their last league game, he scored a vital fifty to help Ireland register a win against Netherlands. However, skipper Porterfield almost helped Ireland qualify to the knockouts in the 2015 WC as Windies pipped them via a superior net run rate after finishing level on points with 3 wins from 6 games. It was ironical though as Ireland had defeated Windies in their first league game. Porterfield gave a great account of himself and his team but with the bat could only to come to the party in the last two league games. He scored a fifty and a hundred against India and Pakistan, both in a losing cause, respectively,
A cricketer who has been on a journey, he has plied his trade for various teams. From 2004 to 2006, Porterfield was a part of the Second XI for Durham, MCC Young Cricketers, Northamptonshire, Derbyshire and Kent. In 2007, he became the first Irishman to score 1000 runs in a calendar year and was offered a two-year Gloucestershire contract.
In order to secure a permanent place in the Gloucestershire squad, he chose to play county cricket rather than leading Ireland in the ODIs against Scotland and New Zealand. In 2009, he won the Associate and Affiliate Player of the year. The following year, he registered his career-best score of 175 in the County Championship Division Two game against Worcestershire. At the end of the season, he was one of the several players who left the club and signed a three-year contract with Warwickshire.
Ireland made a roaring start to their campaign in the first round of the 2014 World T20 Cup winning their opening two games comfortably under Porterfield's captaincy but narrowly missed out on qualifying for the next stage, courtesy Netherlands pulling off a miraculous heist in their final game. Porterfield's next biggest mission was the 50-over World Cup down under and Ireland entered the tournament in red-hot form on the back of a triangular series triumph in Dubai in the lead-up to the World Cup. They topped the table and defeating Afghanistan and Scotland. The Irish boys stunned three-time World Champions West Indies in the first game and followed it up with a nervy victory over UAE. However, they hit a roadblock losing three out of their remaining four games and finished at fifth spot in Pool B.
William Porterfield proved his worth and led his team from the front emerging as the highest run-getter ( 275 runs in 6 innings); he scored a brilliant ton in the final league match against Pakistan and ended the tournament on a high. The next couple of years saw the decline in his batting form and that took a toll on his captaincy a bit. As a result, he had to give up his T20I mantle to Gary Wilson. In November 2019, an era in Ireland came to an end when Porterfield announced that he was stepping aside from the roles of ODI and Test captaincy too after leading them in over 253 International games. Amidst Ireland's top batsmen leaving the country for better prospects, Porterfield has been a solid rock under whom the team has flourished quite well.
Tyrone Kane
Profile
It was indeed a surprise call up for Merrion's Tyrone Kane ahead of the T20 World Cup qualifiers in 2015. He was picked up for a bilateral series against Scotland and also featured in a couple of World Cup qualifiers before being out of favor till he was recalled for Ireland's debut Test.
Tyrone Kane came up the ranks through age group cricket was part of Ireland's under 19 which participated in the 2012 under-19 World Cup. Tyrone was their MVP as he top-scored for Ireland with 197 runs from 6 games and also picked up 5 wickets. His medium pace though was something that he has gone on to nurture and is seen more of a bowling all-rounder now-a-days.
Kane also picked up a hat-trick for his team Leinster Lightning in the 2015 inter-provincial T20 tourney in Ireland.
Kevin O Brien
Profile
The first centurion for Ireland in Test cricket or the whirlwind knock in the 2011 World Cup against England? The Irish fans will sound confused if you pose them with such a question. However, they will come up with one name - Kevin O'Brien.
But Kevin and making history dates back to that fateful day in 2011. His pyrotechnics took centerstage which helped Ireland shock England and the rest of the cricketing fraternity. The beast named Kevin O' Brien had arrived.
The younger of the O' Brien borthers, made his debut in the 2004 Under-19 World Cup and guided his nation to the semi-final stage of the tournament. He ended the tournament with 241 runs and that told everyone about the prodigy that he was.
The burly all-rounder made his ODI debut against England and scored 35 off 48 balls batting at No. 8, but showed that he had plenty of potential. Kevin blossomed in the 2007 World Cup with consistent if not match-winning performances with both bat and ball. He tallied 170 runs from 8 games and picked up 3 wickets in the mega event.
Spurred on by initial success, the younger of the O’Brien brothers went on to become a key allrounder for his country. But, it was only in the 2011 World Cup that he realised his full potential on a dazzling night. Kevin scored 198 runs and picked up four wickets in that showpiece event. His exploits were duly noted and England county side, Gloucestershire offered him a deal for the ODI and T20 championships.
At the start of 2012, Kevin was made Ireland's vice captain, taking over the role from Trent Johnston. Cricket Ireland then increased the number of players with contracts from 15 to 23 and Kevin was one of four players to be given a category A contract. A temperamental character, Kevin In february 2012, during a tour to Kenya, was fined 20% of his match fee for using offensive language when leaving the field after being bowled.
In 2013, he smashed an unbeaten 84 off 47 balls against Pakistan, securing a tie against the Asian giant showcasing more of his giant-slaying skills. In the same year, he captained Leinster Lightning in the Irish interpro series. These fine efforts resulted in him being awarded the ICC Associate and Affiliate Cricketer of the Year award for 2013. The following year, he led the team to a series win against Scotland in September 2014, hitting successive fifties.
But lean scores in the 2015 World Cup meant Ireland were short om decimal points as Windies qualified for the quarters all thanks to a better NRR. However, his crucial 50 in a tense games against UAE had helped Ireland to a win. In the T20Is, Ireland failed to make it to the top 10 of the 2016 T20 WC and again runs dried up for the Irish all-rounder. Ireland also had to face a shock defeat at the hands of Oman.
But then the fight for qualification for the 2019 WC started and with ICC announcing only 10 teams will feature in it, Ireland had their task cut-out. But unfortunately they could not make the cut as Windies and Afghanistan progressed to the next round. Kevin though had good numbers as he notched up 194 runs from 6 games at a strike-rate of more than 125.
Paul Stirling
Profile
A right-handed opening batsman, Paul Stirling, has been known for providing attacking starts to Ireland in the 50-over and Twenty20 version of the game. With Ireland having gained Test status, Stirling now has the opportunity to fine tune his game plan to effectively counter the needs of red-ball cricket. It shouldn't be too tough for him, considering his immense experience in the English domestic set-up, having been part of Middlesex for several years now.
A decade into international cricket, Stirling has grown from a chubby 18-year old debutante to becoming the linchpin of Ireland's batting order. As part of the Associate nations, Stirling racked up runs for fun against similar opposition, but he also showed that he had the game against the big boys. The 2011 World Cup was a disappointment though - as he managed only one score of significance - 101 coming against Netherlands in Kolkata. He shrugged off the disappointment though and registered his first hundred against a visiting Test nation, against Pakistan, in May 2011. Since then, he has grown in stature and has been regarded as one of the finest batsman ever produced by Ireland.
Numbers tell the story for Stirling, in 97 ODIs, he has 50+ scores in 23 innings - getting him a ratio that will stand proud amongst the best opening batsmen of this era. He however has a tendency of being a nervous starter - nine ducks in 97 games is perhaps one glaring stat which needs to be worked on. With his country getting recognized as a regular Test playing nation, the onus will be on the likes of Stirling to ensure that the next generation of Ireland cricketers have a stable platform.
George Dockrell
Profile
Starting off as a lanky left-arm spinner, Dockrell hardly plies the trade that got him into the international fray and has instead transformed himself into a powerful lower-middle order basher. A cricketing prodigy, Dockrell was around Ireland’s international setup through various levels of age group cricket. By age 18, he had already bagged a 2-year contract with Somerset, an extraordinary feat considering he was from Ireland, which was then still an Associate nation.
The Ireland U-19 squad that Dockrell was part of marched through the 2009 U-19 World Cup Qualifiers thereby making it through to the tournament. Dockrell played three games in that competition with no substantial returns. Dockrell’s prodigious talents, however, did not go unnoticed and a recently-formed void in Ireland’s spin department meant that he got his maiden international call-up for the 2010 Quadrangular T20 series in Sri Lanka and for the T20 World Cup Qualifiers. Dockrell’s T20I debut, which incidentally was also his senior T20 debut, came in Ireland’s game against Afghanistan in the Quadrangular series and the then 17-year old starred with figures of 2-11 in a game that eventually ended with an Irish victory. What really put Dockrell in the limelight though was a noteworthy 3-wicket haul against the West Indies in the following 2010 T20 World Cup. Despite Ireland suffering a heavy 70-run defeat in a low-scoring encounter, Dockrell had made a statement at the international stage by accounting for Andre Fletcher, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Narsingh Deonarine while conceding just 16 runs in his quota of 4 overs.
Those performances were enough to earn him a spot in Ireland’s 15-man squad for the 2011 Cricket World Cup. In his first World Cup game, Dockrell recorded figures of 2-23 against Bangladesh and just under a fortnight later, he was back in the news for trapping both the great Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni lbw in Ireland’s game against India. Following that, Dockrell was made captain of the Ireland U-19 side for the 2012 U-19 World Cup. While Ireland crashed out after just the group stage with just 1 win in 3 games, Dockrell had a decent tournament - picking up 5 wickets while also being extremely economical.
Come 2015, Dockrell was already an established member of Ireland’s senior team. In Ireland’s first game of the 2015 Cricket World Cup against the West Indies, a game that Ireland won handsomely, Dockrell produced an impressive performance with figures of 3-50. While playing against other top sides in the competition though, Dockrell didn’t quite enjoy the same level of success and he ended the tournament with just 5 wickets with Ireland failing to make it past the group-stage. He was also a part of the following T20 World Cup in 2016 and his only performance of note was a 3-wicket haul against the Netherlands.
In the years that followed, Dockrell remained an integral part of Ireland’s setup. A tight wicket-to-wicket spinner and also a gun fielder, Dockrell began adding another dimension to his cricket - batting. Continually working his way up the order, Dockrell slowly built up a reputation for being a hard-hitting middle order batter. While he missed out on making his Test debut in Ireland’s first ever Test match, he was handed his Test cap a year later in 2019 in a Test against Afghanistan. He scored 39 and 25 while also picking up a couple wickets in the first innings. In Ireland’s famous win over South Africa in 2021, Dockrell scored a crucial 23-ball 45 - further demonstrating his batting prowess. His maiden T20I fifty led Ireland to victory in their game against Afghanistan in the 2022 T20 World Cup.
Stuart Thompson
Profile
A high utility medium pacer, who doubles as a stylish middle-order left handed batsman, Stuart Thompson first made waves at the under-19 stages where he struck a sublime 67 against Uganda, which saw him being picked up for the 2011-13 Intercontinental Cup.
Ever since then, Thompson's been a regular part of the Ireland squad, with notable contributions in all the associate cricket and the limited international opportunities Ireland got through the 2013 and the 2014 seasons. One such example was his first ever match against a Test side, where he scored 33 and picked up two wickets against the West Indies.
In 2016 however, he suffered a bout of performance anxiety, which forced him to take a two-month break from the game to deal with it. It perhaps was the culmination of a lean patch of runs that began from the winter of 2014 that took a toll on his mental health. On return, he sent out a timely reminder notching up his maiden First-Class ton for North West Warriors in the 2018 Inter-Provisional Championship right before Ireland's maiden Test venture.
Quite obviously, he was a part of the historic eleven in May 2018 to represent Ireland in their first ever Test. He did impress in the second innings with a fifty, hence becoming only the second half-centurion from the country after Kevin o'Brien. In his side's journey as they become a full member, Thompson's role is set to be vital in helping them set a firm footing.
Andy McBrine
Profile
Andrew Robert McBrine is an Irish cricketer who has been involved with cricket from a young age. He represented Ireland in the under-19 World Cup in 2012 but his unimpressive numbers meant he could not leave an impact on the tourney. His father Alexander McBrine, also known as Junior McBrine and uncle James McBrine played domestic cricket for Ireland.
A left-handed batsman and a right-arm off break bowler, McBrine was chosen in Ireland's maiden Test squad ahead of someone like George Dockrell. McBrine ever since his age-group days has constantly been in the eyes of the selectors and despite not putting up consistent performances, has still managed to stay in the fringes.
McBrine, made his first-Class debut for Ireland against Scotland in May 2013. It was not a great start for him as he scored 21 runs, coming in at No.8. A few months later in January 2014, he made his List A debut against Guyana in the Nagico Super50 tournament. He could not do well and remained wicket-less.
However, he got a chance to represent Ireland internationally in March 2014 in the first round of the World T20 in Bangladesh. He had a good debut against Zimbabwe and picked up 2/26. He remained wicket-less in the second game against Netherlands, conceding 24 runs in a single over.
Ever since then, he has been a part of Ireland's white ball cricket and him being an all-rounder has always given him the edge.
McBrine performed reasonably well in Ireland's World Cup acclimatization tour of Australia and New Zealand and earned a place in the 15-man squad for the World Cup. He only managed to play in three games and picked up three wickets to cap off a rather disappointing performance on the flat decks down under.
WICKET KEEPER
Lorcan Tucker
Profile
Lorcan Tucker, born on 10th September 1996, is an Irish wicketkeeper-batsman. He is a secure wicketkeeper behind the stumps with a classical technique, and an explosive, well-built batsman. He has underperformed with the willow, with an average of just under 29 in first-class cricket, and just two half-centuries in ten matches. In his T20I appearances, he has had a limited few opportunities to bat, and hasn't been able to pull off any cameos of note either. However, his first-class antics have given selectors the confidence that he can be utilised as a pinch-hitter down the order.
He started out playing junior cricket, and was selected in the Ireland squad for the 2016 Under-19 World Cup. He made his T20I debut against Hong Kong in September 2016. He made his List A debut for Leinster Lightning in the 2017 Inter-Provincial Cup on 4 June 2017. He made his first-class debut for Leinster Lightning in the 2017 Inter-Provincial Championship in June 2017.
In January 2017, he was called up as an injury replacement for Stuart Thompson for Ireland's squad in the 2017 Desert T20 Challenge. In January 2019, he was named in Ireland's T20I squad for the Oman Quadrangular Series. He was also named in Ireland's Test, One Day International (ODI) and T20I squads for their series against Afghanistan in India in 2019. With age on his side, given that he is only 22, he is likely to become a strong contendor for the national side if he improves his consistency in terms of batting performances.
Peter Chase
Chase was soon drafted into Ireland's 15-man squad for the upcoming World Cup. Although he made his ODI debut in the Dubai Triangular Series in January 2015 against Scotland, he was unlucky as the match got abandoned after toss due to unfavourable weather conditions.
Tim Murtagh
Profile
The nagging pacer is one of those Englishmen who pursued an international career for another country owing to his families' nationality. Having played long and hard for Middlesex, it took one conversation with his fellow teammate, Ed Joyce, which lead him to pursue an international future with Ireland.
Murtagh's journey as a cricketer started with Surrey's age level cricket but he moved to Middlesex in 2007 and became a household name for the county. But despite having superb seasons in 2008, where he picked up 104 wickets across all formats and in 2011 when he picked up 85 wickets in the county championship and still being ignored by the English selectors, Murtagh decided to make a move.
Murtagh's grandfather was born in Dublin and the cricketer applied for Irish citizenship in October 2011, which was granted in January, 2012. Having spent most of his prime with Middlesex, Murtagh turned out to be the exact need for Ireland. Upon citizenship, he made his debut against Australia in a One Day International and soon after secured his Twenty20 debut, against Bangladesh. His ODI debut turned out to be a bitter sweet moment as rain washed out proceedings.
However, Murtagh's impressive credentials weren't to be forgotten and he was named in the Ireland squad for the 2015 World cup, held in Australia and New Zealand. As luck would have it though Murtagh suffered a broken foot ahead of the tournament and was forced to miss what could have been the highlight of his career. Max Sorensen replaced him for the mega event. Having announced his retirement from Twenty20 internationals in 2015, Murtagh came back from retirement to lead the attack in the 2016 WC qualifiers in an unsuccessful attempt.
With Ireland securing Test status, Murtagh will be the man to lead his team in the purest form of the game, albeit at an age when he's getting closer towards retirement. His high arm action with nip and swing aiding his bowling, he will be quite a handy option at the Village in the Dublin.
Did You Know: Murtagh had picked up 6 for 24 against Middlesex for Surrey in 2005 in a domestic T20 game. These were the then best figures in a T20 game. Middlesex is where he moved to from Surrey. Life and ironies.
Mark Adair
Profile
Born in Ireland, Mark Richard Adair hails from a sporting background and was also considered a potential Ireland superstar while in his teens. His father was associated with football as a prominent goalkeeper at a decent level, and his brother George Ross Adair, represented Ireland youth level cricket before playing a handful of games for the national Under - 19 side in 2011.
At the age of 17, Mark Adair was offered a trial by the Warwickshire County Cricket Club, a remarkable feat considering he wasn’t from an established cricketing nation. And a few years later, on his County debut in September 2015, Adair removed Marcus Trescothick to claim his maiden wicket in First-Class cricket. In the same game, Adair remained the only not-out batter in both innings and nearly steered his side to victory against Somerset.
Renowned as a seam-bowling all-rounder, Adair had an impressive run with Warwickshire’s 2nd XI before making it to the senior side. He was also called up to the Ireland squad to face Afghanistan in a five-match ODI series in July 2016. Unfortunately, though, Adair couldn't make his debut in that series and wasn't considered for the future tours with Boyd Rankin and Peter Chase posing challenges to his place in the side.
“Mark Adair has impressed me with his skills in the limited opportunities I have seen him”, John Bracewell, the then Ireland head coach acclaimed before selecting him for the Afghanistan series at home. Adair kept working on his skills at Warwickshire and did reasonably well when presented with opportunities. As Warwickshire's pool of fast bowling got better with resources like Olly Stone and Harry Brookes, Adair was released by the club at the end of 2017 season.
While it took three long years for Adair to be recalled to the national setup, he finally made his ODI debut against England in May 2019. While he went wicketless in that game, Adair showed enough promise and was handed both T20I and Test caps within the following two months. That wasn’t it, while it took three years for him to make a comeback to the national side, it took him just a shade over three months after making his international debut to land a central contract from Cricket Ireland. With the 2019 Cricket World Cup being cut down to just 10 teams, Ireland failed to make it past the qualifiers. The silver lining for Adair though was that he was Ireland’s leading wicket-taker with 12 wickets from 8 games. In the years that followed, Adair continued to feature regularly for Ireland across formats. In 2021, he became the 3rd fastest to 50 T20I wickets, doing so in 28 outings.
Barry McCarthy
Profile
A right-arm medium-fast bowler, Barry McCarthy, comes from a family of cricketers with sister, Louise McCarthy, being a part of Ireland's women's team. Ben Stokes identified the pacer's talent and persuaded his club - Durham - to sign him up. He has also had the experience of featuring in Ireland's Under-19 team.
On the back of stupendous shows at the domestic level, McCarthy was named in Ireland's limited-overs' squad for the first time during the home series against Sri Lanka in June 2016 and made his debut in the first game. He pocketed two wickets in his maiden outing and made a mark for himself. While McCarthy has been on the higher side economy-wise, his uncanny ability to take wickets has made him an useful asset for his national team.
During the 2018 World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe, McCarthy was consistency personified and was the go-to bowler for his skipper. He was named by the International Cricket Council (ICC) as the rising star of Irish cricket for the year 2018. Having set such high standards, his stocks started to dip in no time and inevitably was shown the door by the selectors in 2019 only for him to reappear in the Ireland squad mid-way through the 2020 World Cup qualifiers in the UAE, thanks to David Delany's injury, who was ruled out of the competition
