Jan

Cricket Ireland announce World Cup squad

Cricket Ireland today announced their final squad for the 2011 World Cup which is being held in Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka from February 19 to April 2.

The squad includes nine players from the 2007 World Cup and marks the much anticipated return of Ed Joyce to the Irish team.

Coach Phil Simmons commented: "I like the balance of the squad. As with most Irish teams of the past few years, there are quite a few all-rounders, and that gives us plenty of options in all departments. This squad contains a lot of experience with nine having played in the 2007 competition - I am sure that is more than most teams. What is different this time from 2007 is that 13 of the 15 earn their living from cricket - that's practically a full time squad. It makes such a difference having the guys full-time, and that is thanks to our team sponsor RSA Insurance, with whose support we have been able to offer the players who aren't with English counties contracts with Cricket Ireland.

We were also able to spend a month in India acclimatising, and that will stand us in good stead."

"The squad all know the importance of this tournament and I'm certain we will acquit ourselves well. We may have lost the surprise factor, but we have earned the respect of the cricketing world through our efforts. We've reached the Super Eight phase of both the World Cup and the ICC World Twenty20 - there's no reason why we can't make the latter stages yet again."

Philip Smith, CEO RSA Insurance said "The Irish team lit up the World Cup four years ago and gave everyone in Ireland reason to be proud. I know that no stone has been left unturned in preparing this squad and we are all looking forward to yet more magnificent achievements from the team. RSA are proud of the role we have played in helping prepare the side and we wish Phil, William and all the team the best as they take on the world yet again."

Ireland captain William Porterfield is relishing the opportunity to skipper his country on the world stage saying: "We've been waiting for this time to come around now for a while and I know the squad are just looking forward to getting out to Dubai and on to India and Bangladesh. There has been a lot of hard work put in over the past few weeks and months and being in India in November for the training has really helped the lads in getting to where they want to be. This was helped and aided by the generous support that RSA have shown to us, not just over the last few months, but since they have been on board."

Ireland will travel to Dubai on January 28 for a pre World Cup training camp, and have scheduled warm-up games against New Zealand and Zimbabwe in Nagpur before their first game in the competition proper against Bangladesh in Dhaka on February 25.

Ireland has been drawn in Group B alongside Bangladesh, India, England, the Netherlands, South Africa and West Indies.

The squad in full is as follows:

William Porterfield (Warwickshire) (Captain)

Andre Botha (North County)

Alex Cusack (Clontarf)

George Dockrell (Somerset)

Trent Johnston (Railway Union)

Nigel Jones (Civil Service North)

Ed Joyce (Sussex)

John Mooney (North County)

Kevin O'Brien (Railway Union)

Niall O'Brien (Northants)