A 15-player Ireland Women’s cricket squad has been announced for the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifier in the UAE from 25 April to 7 May.
Ten teams, divided into two groups of five each, will compete in the Qualifier in two Abu Dhabi venues from 25 April. The two table-toppers from the two groups will feature in the semi-finals on 5 May with the winners booking their tickets to Bangladesh and joining the hosts, Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa and West Indies in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 in September and October.
Head Coach Ed Joyce’s squad will be led by Laura Delany and will see the squad play a two-match bilateral series in Dubai against Thailand Women ahead of the tournament proper.
The squad includes:
Laura Delany (captain), Ava Canning, Alana Dalzell, Georgina Dempsey, Amy Hunter, Arlene Kelly, Gaby Lewis, Louise Little, Joanna Loughran, Jane Maguire, Cara Murray, Leah Paul, Orla Prendergast, Eimear Richardson, Rebecca Stokell.
Delany, Ireland Women’s most-capped player, is in line to make her 200th appearance for the national side in her next appearance – the first women’s cricketer to achieve that milestone.
Scotland, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Uganda and the United States of America (USA) feature in Group A, while Ireland, Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Vanuatu and Zimbabwe make up Group B.
The event features eight teams from the five ICC Global Development Regions, as well as Ireland and Sri Lanka, who did not find a place in the top six of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 in South Africa and therefore missed out on automatic qualification for this year’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
The Qualifier will be staged at Zayed Cricket Stadium and Tolerance Oval, both form part of the Abu Dhabi Cricket and Sports Hub.
FIXTURES
Thailand series
16 April: Ireland Women v Thailand Women (1st T20I; UAE)
18 April: Ireland Women v Thailand Women (2nd T20I; UAE)
ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifier
21 April: Warm-up game v Scotland Women (T20I; UAE)
23 April: Warm-up game v USA Women (T20I; UAE)
25 April: Ireland Women v UAE Women (Qualifier Group Stage; UAE)
29 April: Ireland Women v Zimbabwe Women (Qualifier Group Stage; UAE)
1 May: Ireland Women v Vanuatu Women (Qualifier Group Stage; UAE)
3 May: Ireland Women v Netherlands Women (Qualifier Group Stage; UAE)
👉 Squad announced for Ireland Women's global qualifier campaign: https://t.co/oaLuTo2pCM
Good luck to @lauradel14 and the team 👊#BackingGreen #FuelledByCerta ☘️🏏 pic.twitter.com/bsxxFlvgiz— Ireland Women’s Cricket (@IrishWomensCric) March 20, 2024
