Former rugby player Ross Adair gets Irish call-up for Zimbabwe T20I series

Former Ulster rugby player Ross Adair has been included in the Ireland squad for their upcoming bilateral series against Zimbabwe that will be played between January 12 to 23. The entire series is scheduled to be contested at the Harare Sports Club.

Ross is the brother of the star Irish pace sensation Mark Adair and he would be hoping to prove a point and cement his place permanently in the national team by showcasing consistent performances in the Zimbabwe series.

In case Ross Adair is selected in the playing XI, then he and Mark would be the first brothers to represent Ireland at the international level after the likes of Kevin and Niall O’Brien during a Test match at Malahide back in 2018.

It's a huge honour for me: Ross Adair

"I'm absolutely delighted with the call-up, but I'm not sure it's really sunk in yet if I'm honest," said Ross Adair.

"It's a huge honour for me and now I just can't wait to get away on tour. I have always wanted to push myself and get to as high a level as possible,” he added.

Notably, Ross Adair has also excelled in rugby at the professional level having represented Ulster in the Pro12 competition during the 2014-15 season.

Ross has been selected after middle-order sensation Lorcan Tucker was granted a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to miss the three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe and participate in the UAE-based International League T20 (ILT20). However, he will be back in the squad for the subsequent One Day International series starting January 18.

The 28-year-old Ross made his List A debut for the Northern Knights in 2021 and scored a thunderous 111 runs from 49 deliveries during his last inter-provincial match. He also made an impact with the ball in hand with figures of 1/28. It now remains to be seen whether the rugby player will succeed in becoming the next big thing in Ireland cricket.