“We are particularly pleased to have Jai Moondra and Byron McDonough in the squad,” national selector Andrew White said in a statement. “Both players bring different attributes that we believe can have a real impact over the course of the series while Gavin Hoey provides a genuine wicket taking threat through the middle overs with his ability to spin the ball both ways and create pressure on opposition batters.
“From a batting perspective, Ben Calitz’s powerful and dynamic approach gives the squad valuable options in the middle to lower order. His ability to change the momentum of a game is a real asset.”
Injuries, though, remain an issue for Ireland. Josh Little, Matt Hollard, Craig Young, Barry McCarthy, Jordan Neill and David Delany were not considered for selection owing to injuries or return-to-play protocols. Cricket Ireland (CI) said that the squad could be shuffled for the last three ODIs should any player recover.
This series against Afghanistan will also serve as a starting point for Ireland to build their team for the men’s ODI World Cup qualifiers scheduled for 2027. The last time they played ODIs was in May 2025, a 1-1 draw against West Indies.
“These are our first ODIs in 15 months and in the intervening period, many players have put their hand up for selection which is a great place to be. We are leaving players out who rightly believe they are good enough to be selected, however, we have full faith in the squad that we have picked,” Wilson said. “We have selected a squad that is reflective of the way in which we want to play. We want to play the conditions and situations in front of us but ultimately be dynamic and look for opportunities to put pressure on the opposition.
“With the ball, we want to be consistently looking for wickets and in the field we want to hunt down chances and be known for a never say die attitude that is synonymous with great Irish sides, of which we believe this is one.”
