Simi Singh of Indian origin gets his maiden Ireland call-up

Simi Singh, who plays for Leinster Lightning, has got his first call-up to be a part of the Ireland team that will be featuring in a tri-series against Bangladesh and New Zealand in Dublin. He replaces Andy McBrine in the Irish squad following two big losses against England. The Punjab-born 30-year-old had received his citizenship just last month.

Exceptional performances for both Ireland Wolves and Leinster has earned him a place in the squad ahead of experienced Andy McBrine. Singh plays and coaches at the YMCA in Dublin. He has revealed that he has been working a lot to earn this call-up. “I ’m absolutely delighted with my call up and looking forward to the matches,” said Singh.

“I came to Ireland as a teenager with a hope of wearing the green jersey one day and feel fortunate to have that honour now. I appreciate the support of my family and friends and also my club YMCA. This wonderful opportunity wouldn’t have been possible without them. There’s no doubt that I’ve been helped by strong performances for Leinster Lightning this past few seasons, and this campaign has started well with runs and wickets for Ireland Wolves. I’m so proud and grateful to get this opportunity – it’ll be a great honour if I make my debut during this series”, said an over-the-moon Singh.

McBrine, the Irish off-spinner, was going through a poor run of form. Ireland national team coach John Bracewell feels that Singh deserved a chance in the team after some scintillating performances. He also feels that McBrine will gain confidence after playing a few matches for Ireland A.

Regarding Simi, he said, “I’ve been impressed by his quality with both bat and ball. He is an intelligent cricketer who can adapt depending on the match situation. He strikes the ball very cleanly, has good technique, and scores all round the wicket. His bowling is strong with subtle variations, mixing up his pace and he extracts good turn and bounce from the pitch”. When asked about Andy’s exclusion, he said: “Andy is still very much in the selectors’ minds – he’s a strong character”.

Ireland begins their campaign against Bangladesh at Malahide on 12th May.

Fixture-list of the tri-series:

Ireland’s squad for the tri-series:

William Porterfield (Warwickshire, capt), Andrew Balbirnie (Leinster Lightning), Peter Chase (Leinster Lightning), George Dockrell (Leinster Lightning), Ed Joyce (Sussex/Leinster Lightning), Tim Murtagh (Middlesex), Barry McCarthy (Leinster Lightning), Kevin O’Brien (Leinster Lightning), Niall O’Brien (NW Warriors, wk), Sami Singh (Leinster Lightning) Paul Stirling (Middlesex), Stuart Thompson (NW Warriors), Gary Wilson (Derbyshire/Northern Knights, wk), Craig Young (NW Warriors), John Anderson (Leinster Lightning).