Lorcan Tucker will walk out as Ireland’s new T20 captain this weekend, eyeing two sold-out matches against India in Belfast while quietly counting the bodies on the treatment table.
Five frontline seamers – Josh Little (stress fracture), Mark Adair (abdominal), Curtis Campher (hand), Barry McCarthy (ACL) and rookie Jordan Neill (shoulder and foot) – are all unavailable. Paul Stirling, who handed over the T20 armband after the recent World Cup, is also missing with a calf tear. It is, frankly, not ideal preparation.
“We can’t disguise the fact that we’re hampered by injury at present, with at least five first-team regulars missing due to injury,” national selector Andrew White admitted. “However, my view in such circumstances is that one player’s misfortune is another player’s opportunity. As such, we’ve named three uncapped players in the squad of 14.”
Those uncapped names are quick bowlers Jai Moondra and Matt Hollard, plus leg-spinning all-rounder Gavin Hoey. Reuben Wilson, who debuted in the Test arena only last month, could feature in white-ball cricket for the first time, while Liam McCarthy may get a second chance after a forgettable first outing last year.
Tucker, 29, filled in for Stirling during the World Cup, so the elevation is hardly a left-field punt. He owns a calm manner behind the stumps and, crucially, a habit of landing counter-punching cameos – he struck four sixes in his most recent T20 knock. The wicketkeeper knows exactly where Ireland sit in the global pecking order yet refuses to sound overawed.
“I’ve been lucky to have some very special moments, none more so than in the T20 format, and I know there are a group of young men waiting to create those same special moments for themselves,” he said this week.
“We are fortunate to have time on our side in this format, and I’d love to be at that 2028 T20 World Cup knowing I’d given those lads the chance to make this job and this team their own.”
The immediate assignment is India, whose depth remains absurd. Shreyas Iyer leads them for the first time, and teenage tearaway Vaibhav Sooryavanshi could debut. Tucker neither sugar-coats the size of the task nor waves a white flag.
“India are an absolute powerhouse when it comes to T20 cricket,” he noted. “We are fortunate to be able to measure ourselves against them right at the start of our new cycle, and there will be no tougher challenge for our group than what they will offer.
“Coming out of the IPL, there will undoubtedly be players who want to make an impact on the international scene. I hope that we can spoil a few of those parties they might have planned and show that we are also here to make an impact.”
If Ireland manage that, it will be with a bowling group long on enthusiasm but light on caps. Wilson brings brisk pace and a bristling competitive edge; Moondra whips it through from a high action; Hollard is skiddier. Hoey’s leg-breaks offer something different, and Liam McCarthy – no relation to the recovering Barry – should hit the pitch hard at Stormont, a ground that can offer bounce early summer.
The absence list inevitably weakens the batting depth too, but top-order man Stephen Doheny has another chance to nail down a place, edging out Sam Topping this time. Harry Tector and Curtis Delany, reliable through the middle, will shoulder plenty of responsibility.
For all the setbacks, White believes the experience could pay off longer term. Playing India now, he argues, shows the newcomers exactly where international standards sit. He might be right. Either way, Tucker will front a fresh-looking Ireland who can’t pretend everything is rosy, yet refuse to arrive beaten before a ball is bowled.
