Ireland pacer Barry McCarthy out of Zimbabwe series; Neill & Hand called up

Jordan Neill and Fionn Hand have been called up to replace Ireland Men’s pacer Barry McCarthy, who is going home from Zimbabwe after suffering an abdominal muscle injury during the most recent Test match.

Barry McCarthy sustained an injury in the final innings of the contest,

Despite taking six wickets and playing a crucial part with the ball in Ireland’s triumph against Zimbabwe in the Bulawayo Test. He will not be there for the three-match ODI and three-match T20I series that begin in Harare today.

Jordan Neill, an 18-year-old seam bowler and right-handed top-order batsman who is presently playing club cricket in South Africa, will travel to Harare today to join the ODI team. During a trip of England last year, Neill led the Ireland Under-19 Men’s team as captain. Initially bowling off-breaks, Neill transitioned to seam bowling and has pleased coaches with his ability to move the ball both ways and consistency.

The 26-year-old Fionn Hand will depart tomorrow to join the T20I team in front of the series, which begins on February 22. Hand was a member of the Irish team for the South Africa series last October and has 15 caps for Ireland to date.

Barry McCarthy, who has a reputation for collecting wickets in white-ball forms, truly showed his power with the ball during the most recent Test match. We are very sorry to see him go. The National Men’s Selector, Andrew White, stated that Jordan Neill and Fionn Hand both had the chance to make an impression because of Barry’s tragedy.

Jordan has the chance to become a member of the senior squad: White

Regarding the up-and-coming talent Jordan Neill, Andrew White said he was sure of his skills and that he will perform well when called upon. He therefore thought the youthful player would fit right in with the senior men’s squad. In addition, he hoped that after playing against South Africa, Fionn would soon join the T20I team.

We have been keeping a careful eye on Jordan, one of those up-and-coming prospects. Although his seam bowling skills are still in their infancy, Jordan has proven his abilities at the Under-19 and inter-provincial levels. He is also a talented top-order batsman. We have been keeping a close eye on his growth while he has been playing cricket in South Africa over the Irish winter,” he added.

“Jordan has the chance to become a member of the senior squad, and we are sure he could contribute to the team in comparable circumstances to those he has been playing in lately if called upon. Fionn returns to the T20I team, which he played for against South Africa, and he has demonstrated the qualities necessary to be successful at this level,” he said.

ZIM vs IRE Full Schedule

• 14 February 2025: Zimbabwe Men v Ireland Men – 1^st ODI (Harare; 1 pm (IST) start)
• 16 February 2025: Zimbabwe Men v Ireland Men – 2^nd ODI (Harare; 1 pm (IST) start)
• 18 February 2025: Zimbabwe Men v Ireland Men – 3^rd ODI (Harare; 1 PM (IST) start)

Ireland ODI squad: Paul Stirling (c), Mark Adair, Andrew Balbirnie, Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Gavin Hoey, Graham Hume, Matthew Humphreys, Josh Little, Andrew McBrine, Jordan Neill, Harry Tector, Morgan Topping, Lorcan Tucker, Craig Young.

Zimbabwe ODI Squad: Craig Ervine (c), Brian Bennett, Johnathan Campbell, Ben Curran, Trevor Gwandu, Wessly Madhevere, Tinotenda Maposa, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wellington Masakadza, Nyasha Mayavo, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava, Newman Nyamhuri, Sikandar Raza, Tony Munyonga.