Leinster lightning

The T20I: In a bold move to reinvigorate their T20I team, Ireland have opted to drop Test captain Andy Balbirnie from their squad for the upcoming T20I series against South Africa, set to take place in Abu Dhabi later this month.

Balbirnie, who has been Ireland’s second-highest run-scorer in T20Is, has had a challenging year. His average of 24.83 from 12 innings and a strike rate of just 113.74 have been below his usual standards. His recent absence from Leinster Lightning's T20 match, with Lorcan Tucker stepping in as an opener, hints at Tucker potentially replacing Balbirnie as Paul Stirling's partner at the top of the order.

Andrew White, Ireland’s national selector, explained the rationale behind this decision: “One area we will explore on this tour is the top order in our T20 squad. We'll be looking at introducing a new dynamic, with Andrew Balbirnie sitting out the T20Is on this occasion. There are only two T20Is in the upcoming series, but they will offer important opportunities as we try to increase our levels of performance again.”