Joyce cleared to return

CRICKET:IRELAND WILL be able to call on the services of batsman Ed Joyce in next year's World Cup after the Bray native was granted a special dispensation from the International Cricket Council (ICC) to resume his international career slightly earlier after a four-year stand-down period.

The ICC have, however, declined the request from Cricket Ireland to have former New Zealand batsman and Irish passport holder Hamish Marshall cleared to take part, meaning he will not be eligible to play for his adopted country until the start of next April.

Bray native Joyce, who already has 50 caps for Ireland, represented England at the 2007 World Cup, making the last of 17 ODI appearances against Sri Lanka in Antigua at the start of April. The ICC rule presently requires a player to stand down for a four-year period if changing allegiance but Cricket Ireland made a case on behalf of both Joyce and Marshall, whose last ODI coincidentally came against Ireland in 2007.

Speaking from India where he is on a pre-World Cup training camp with Ireland, Sussex player Joyce, (32) said: “It’s obviously tremendous news. Playing for Ireland again is something I’ve given a lot of thought to over the last few years and to be given the opportunity to do so, a little earlier than expected and on the biggest stage, is absolutely fantastic. “Having seen the talent and work ethic of the squad over the last week or so in India, I feel Ireland will, once again, make a huge impact at the World Cup and I look forward to hopefully offering a lot to the team in the tournament and the whole of 2011.”

Left-hander Joyce, who plays county cricket with Sussex, made his last appearance for Ireland in the 2005 ICC Trophy final at Clontarf. He has scored 1,637 runs at a average of 37.20, placing him in third place in the all-time averages, just above Eoin Morgan in fourth slot. Ireland coach Phil Simmons said: “It’s a huge boost to have Ed available for the World Cup, adding to the selectors’ headaches in an already strong squad – but that’s a nice problem to have.”