Cricket Ireland announces squad for ODI series against Afghanistan

Cricket Ireland on Thursday announced 14-member squad for the two-match ODI series against Afghanistan. The team has made one change from their Tri-series squad as Tyrone Kane replaces the injured Josh Little.

Little who picked up a four-wicket haul on his ODI debut against England earlier this month, has been rested from the series against Afghanistan as a precaution to get him ready for the home series against Zimbabwe in July this year.

"During the Tri-Series, Josh reported some minor back pain related to bowling. A precautionary scan showed a small area of bone stress in an area commonly seen in fast bowlers. We take these findings very seriously given the potential for such stress responses to develop into a more serious stress fracture that could put Josh out of action for up to 3 months if he were to continue bowling," Mark Rausa (Head of Physiotherapy) said in an official statement.

"We want to rest Josh from bowling for around four weeks and begin rehab immediately in preparation for the Zimbabwe series at the beginning of July," he added.

Ireland failed to win any match in the ongoing Tri-nation series against West Indies and Bangladesh. But the team would hope to put up a better performance in the series against Afghanistan.

"The first few months of 2019 have shown the talent and potential within Irish cricket, and the emergence of new players on the international stage. Indeed in just the first half of this calendar year we have seen five players make their ODI debuts. With Tyrone Kane joining the squad for the Afghanistan series, he is in contention to be a sixth ODI debutant," Andrew White, Chair of National Men's selectors said in an official statement.

Ireland 14-member squad for the two-match ODI series against Afghanistan: William Porterfield (captain), Mark Adair, Andrew Balbirnie, George Dockrell, Tyrone Kane, Andrew McBrine, Barry McCarthy, James McCollum, Tim Murtagh, Kevin O'Brien, Boyd Rankin, Paul Stirling, Lorcan Tucker, Gary Wilson.

The team takes on Afghanistan in the first ODI of the two-match series on Sunday, May 19.