London: With its star players missing due to injury, Ireland has announced a severely depleted 13-member squad for its one-dayers against India and South Africa beginning on June 23.

In the bowling department, Andre Botha, Dave Langford-Smith and most disappointingly of all, Boyd Rankin have all failed to recover from injuries in time.

The batting also lacks depth and to compound its troubles, both Jeremy Bray and Eoin Morgan have declared themselves unavailable, while their all-rounder Peter Gillespie has decided to call it a day.

"There's no doubt we have been badly hit by injuries," coach Phil Simmons was quoted as saying by the official website of the Irish Cricket Union.

"Langford-Smith has a side injury, and this type of injury can be very slow to heal. Both Andre Botha (elbow injury) and Boyd Rankin (stress fracture of the fibula), are still two or three weeks away from full fitness, but I'm confident all three will be ready for the quadrangular tournament," he said.

County commitments

Morgan's case is a great concern as more and more Ireland players pledge their future to England. "Morgan has informed me that he isn't available for the ODIs because of his commitments with Middlesex," Simmons said.

"Morgan wants to qualify and play for England, and feels that by obtaining a regular place in the Middlesex team is the best way to achieve that," Simmons said.

"Bray asked not to be considered for selection for these matches and Gillespie has decided to retire from representative cricket.

"The positive aspect to this is that a number of the younger players in the squad will now get a chance to show what they are capable of," he said.

"They have the opportunity to firmly establish themselves in the squad. I'm already starting to look ahead to the World Cup qualifiers in the UAE in 2009, and the composition of the team."

The squad: Trent Johnston (capt.), Kenny Carroll, Alex Cusack, Thinus Fourie, Dominick Joyce, Gary Kidd, Kyle McCallan, Kevin O'Brien, Niall O' Brien, William Porterfield, Roger Whelan, Andrew White, Gary Wilson. — PTI

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail