Ireland prepares for Tour to Bangladesh

Ireland have called up 17-year-old Cliftonville batsman Paul Stirling for the forthcoming series of one-day internationals in Bangladesh. Stirling will replace experienced opener Jeremy Bray, who misses the trip because of a shoulder injury.
Paul Stirling has been with the Under-19 squad in Malaysia and scored a rapid 72 as Ireland fell to a heavy 181-run defeat by New Zealand.
Left-arm seamers Phil Eaglestone and Reinhardt Strydom have also been named in a 15-man squad. Andrew White is unavailable, as he is getting married in March.

Trent Johnston captains a squad with a lot of experience, as Ireland will have all four county-based players available. William Porterfield (Gloucestershire) is named as the new vice-captain, taking over from Kyle McCallan.

Ireland will play a four-day game against the United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi from March 6th-9th, before starting the three-match series in Bangladesh on March 18th.
They are also expected to play county side Essex, who will be in the region participating in a tournament.

Ireland's touring squad: T Johnston [C] (Railway Union), A Botha (North County), A Cusack (Clontarf), P Eaglestone (Strabane), T Fourie (Merrion), G Kidd (Waringstown), K McCallan (Waringstown), E Morgan (Middlesex), K O'Brien (Railway Union), N O'Brien (Northants),
W Porterfield [VC] (Gloucestershire), B Rankin (Warwickshire), P Stirling (Cliftonville), R Strydom (North County), G Thompson (Lisburn).