Cricket News: Irish selectors have named their 15-man squad for next year's ICC World Cup finals in the West Indies with Kenny Carroll of Railway Union winning the battle to secure the last remaining top-order batting spot over former captain and veteran of 76 internationals Jason Molins.

Carroll (23), who has been enjoying a wonderful season with the bat, is one of three players in the squad, along with brothers Niall and Kevin O'Brien, who learned his cricket at Railway Union in Sandymount.

Despite being by far the most successful captain in the history of Irish cricket and a consistent run-scorer for most of his playing career, Molins was dropped at the end of last season following a run of poor form. He made his case for inclusion with two half-centuries for Ireland A this summer, including 79 a week ago against Scotland A in Ayr, but selectors decided to back the relatively unproven talents of Carroll instead. The squad, which is led by Clontarf all-rounder Trent Johnston, will face Zimbabwe, Pakistan and hosts West Indies in Group D in Jamaica next March. Before that, they will also take part in the ICC World League Division One tournament in Kenya in the New Year.

An Irish Cricket Union spokesman said that although the World Cup squad did not have to be named until February, the decision was taken to pick it at this time.

"The selectors felt it would assist the chosen players in arranging their work and training schedules during this crucial period in Irish cricket," he said. "The extra time would help them prepare to make the necessary arrangements that the cricketing commitments entail."

It is also thought that the ICU had to nominate five players for an intensive ICC-run training camp to be held in Pretoria this autumn and that they had to be players in the squad. The Irish squad of 15 consists of at least 12 recognised all-rounders, including wicketkeeper-batsman Niall O'Brien, giving national coach Adrian Birrell plenty of options with both bat and ball.

The ICU also selected a five-player reserve list that consists of Molins, Gary Kidd, Gary Wilson, Thinus Fourie and Roger Whelan. They will also pick an additional 10 names for submission to the ICC in December.

Surprisingly, there is no place in the top 20 for Merrion batsman Dominick Joyce, whose place in the pecking order has plummeted after being dropped towards the end of the C&G Trophy campaign in June. Also, fast bowler Adrian McCoubrey has been ignored.

World Cup Squad

Trent Johnston captain (Clontarf), Andre Botha (North County), Jeremy Bray (Eglinton), Kenny Carroll (Railway Union), Peter Gillespie (Strabane), Kyle McCallan (Waringstown), John Mooney (North County), Paul Mooney (North County), Eoin Morgan (Middlesex), Kevin O'Brien (Railway Union), Niall O'Brien (Kent), William Porterfield (Rush), Boyd Rankin (Bready), David Langford-Smith (Phoenix), Andy White (Northamptonshire).

Reserves: T Fourie (Merrion), Gary Kidd (Waringstown), Jason Molins (Phoenix), Roger Whelan (Railway Union), Gary Wilson (Civil Service North).