Cusack and Chase named in Ireland squad

Emerging seamer Peter Chase and fit-again Alex Cusack are both part of an 18-man Ireland squad bound for Australia and New Zealand this month.

Veteran medium-pacer Cusack is back after a season curtailed by injury to join the trip Down Under as Ireland step up their preparations for next year’s World Cup, also in Australia and New Zealand.

William Porterfield’s team will travel without experienced batsman Ed Joyce, who is instead to be given time to recover from an arduous domestic season with Sussex.

Coach Phil Simmons outlined the timetable for Cusack’s return to action. “Alex Cusack has been one of our best limited-overs bowlers in the last six years,” he explained.

“Although he’s been out of competitive action since early May, the plan was always to take him on tour as long as he had recovered from injury.

“He has been in a long period of rehabilitation and is fit to train now. He will be back training and bowling this week — and part of his continued rehabilitation will be in Australia, with the hope he is able to play towards the latter half of the tour in New Zealand.”

Ireland will play eight 50-over fixtures between September 30th and October 23rd.

Ireland squad (to travel to Australia and New Zealand): W Porterfield (Captain), A Balbirnie, P Chase, A Cusack, G Dockrell, J Mooney, T Murtagh, A McBrine, K O’Brien, N O’Brien (wkt), A Poynter, S Poynter, M Sorensen, P Stirling, S Thompson , A White, G Wilson (wkt), C Young