Ireland have dropped Test captain Andy Balbirnie from their T20I squad to face South Africa in Abu Dhabi later this month, with the selectors looking to create "a new dynamic" at the top of the order, reports espncricinfo.com.
Balbirnie is Ireland's second-highest T20I run-scorer but has struggled for form this year, averaging 24.83 in his 12 innings and scoring at a strike rate of only 113.74. He missed Leinster Lightning's most recent T20 in the Inter-Pros, with Lorcan Tucker opening the batting in his absence, suggesting he could replace Balbirnie as Paul Stirling's opening partner.
"One area we will explore on this tour is the top order in our T20 squad," Andrew White, Ireland's national selector, said. "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."
Balbirnie has been named in the squad for the three-match ODI series which follows the T20Is and will continue alongside Stirling at the top of the order in that format. "Andrew remains very much central to our thoughts and will open the batting in the ODIs," White said.
Josh Little is not included in either squad due to his involvement in the ongoing Caribbean Premier League, where he is playing for Trinbago Knight Riders. Little and Balbirnie are the two men to drop out from June's T20 World Cup squad, with left-arm spinner Matthew Humphreys added.
Ireland were eliminated at the group stage of the T20 World Cup and were hugely underwhelming. They lost all three of their completed matches - against India, Canada and Pakistan - and had their fixture against co-hosts United States in Florida washed out.
Meanwhile, uncapped legspinner Gavin Hoey is in contention for an ODI debut, with allrounder Gareth Delany only included in the T20I squad. Stephen Doheny and Andy McBrine will also arrive for the ODIs, with Ross Adair joining Delany in heading home after the T20Is.
"2026 and 2027 are pivotal years for our white-ball squads - those years being the next T20 and 50-over World Cups respectively. Given their timeframes, it means we are looking at this upcoming series against South Africa as the start of a new cycle," White said.
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