Freya Sargent is back in Ireland’s squad for the three-match women’s T20I series against Pakistan in Clontarf next week. The 19-year-old off-spinner sat out last month’s tour of Zimbabwe with a minor shoulder niggle but the selectors say she has come through recent club fixtures without fuss.
There is only one other tweak to the group that swept Zimbabwe 5-0. Lara McBride, who made her Ireland bow on that trip, keeps her place, while all-rounder Sophie MacMahon drops out. Head coach Lloyd Tennant has resisted wholesale change, largely because the side head to the Netherlands later in August for the European qualifier for the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Captain Gaby Lewis, still only 24, will win her 100th T20 cap if she plays all three games – a milestone previously reached only by Laura Delany. The series runs 6, 8 and 10 August, all at Clontarf, and should give a clearer idea of Ireland’s progress since they beat Pakistan 2-1 away in 2022.
Selector Ciara O’Brien summed up the mood: “After a strong 5-0 series win against Zimbabwe Women across formats under new head coach Lloyd Tennant, it’s great to be able to move so quickly into what will understandably be a much tougher assignment against Pakistan Women in Clontarf for this T20I series. With the upcoming matches, our preparation continues for the ICC Women’s T20I World Cup Europe Qualifier in the Netherlands in a few weeks, so we’re looking to see this latest momentum continued by the squad at Clontarf.”
Historically, Pakistan hold the upper hand: 15 wins from 20 completed T20Is. Ireland’s think-tank are relaxed about that record, pointing instead to recent advances with the ball. Sargent’s return strengthens a slow-bowling group that already includes Cara Murray and Laura Delany’s canny cutters.
Ireland squad: Gaby Lewis (capt), Ava Canning, Christina Coulter Reilly, Laura Delany, Amy Hunter, Arlene Kelly, Louise Little, Jane Maguire, Lara McBride, Cara Murray, Leah Paul, Orla Prendergast, Freya Sargent, Rebecca Stokell.
