O'Brien vows to do 'utmost' to get back in Irish team

CRICKET:IRELAND WICKET-KEEPER Niall O'Brien has vowed to do his "utmost" to get back into the senior international team after being left out by the Irish selectors for two upcoming tours following his decision to join the fledgling Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

The 30-year-old will miss Ireland’s tour to Kenya and the World Twenty20 qualifiers in the United Arab Emirates, which also involves a warm-up camp in South Africa.

O’Brien was willing to travel from Bangladesh for the two one-day World Cup qualifiers against Kenya on February 18th and 20th, but the selectors stuck with their decision that players must be available for all parts of the tour that also includes a four-day Intercontinental Cup clash and three T20 games against the African nation.

The decision to exclude O’Brien means he will stay in Bangladesh for the three weeks of the inaugural after he was bought at auction by the Khulna Royal Bengals for a price of €62,000, money that goes straight to the player.

The Irish selectors pointed out that O’Brien informed them he still intends to add to his 119 caps and that they “will take that into consideration when they next meet”.

Speaking to The Irish Times from his home in Northampton last night, O’Brien said: “I’ll be doing my utmost to get back in the team. I love to play for Ireland and have done for 10 years, so there’s no reason that that’s going to stop.

“I’m still part of the plans and in my opinion I’m still good enough to play for Ireland, so hopefully come the summer time I’ll be back playing again.

“For now I’m just focused on doing well for Khulna, it is a great opportunity to take part in what is going to be a very exciting event.”

Surrey’s Gary Wilson will now become the senior wicket-keeper in the squad, with Instonians’ Rory McCann providing the back-up.

Ireland coach Phil Simmons admitted it was a difficult situation for the selectors, but that the rules applied to all players over availability for the tour.

“The selectors remained consistent to their principle, regarding that all players must be available for all parts of the tour. Niall was not able to make himself available for the whole tour and therefore the selectors have decided not to select him for any part of the tour including the ICC World T20 Qualifier.”

One player who may yet make the final 14-man squad for the World Twenty20 qualifiers is Middlesex opening bowler Tim Murtagh, who is waiting for his Irish passport to be processed. The 30-year-old from London qualifies for Ireland on the grandparent rule and Cricket Ireland have clarified with the International Cricket Council that he could be brought into the final 14-man squad for the event assuming his passport has arrived before the deadline of February 12th.

IRELAND SQUADS – For tour to Kenya and World Twenty20 qualifier in the UAE: W Porterfield (Warwickshire, captain), A Cusack (Clontarf), G Dockrell (Somerset), T Johnston (Railway Union), N Jones (CSN)*, E Joyce (Sussex), J Mooney (North County), R McCann (Instonians, wkts), K O’Brien (Railway Union), B Rankin (Warwickshire), M Sorensen (The Hills), P Stirling (Middlesex), A van der Merwe (YMCA)*, A White (Instonians), G Wilson (Surrey, wkts).

*Albert Van der Merwe will only play in the Intercontinental Cup match and Nigel Jones will join the squad from February 15th for the ODIs and T20s.

Additional players for training camp in South Africa and T20 Qualifier: A Poynter (Clontarf), J Shannon (Instonians).