Ireland squad named for T20 Women's World Cup

Ireland has named a 15-strong squad for the 2023 ICC Women's T20 World Cup in South Africa.

The tournament which takes place next month will see Ireland start off their group campaign against England on 13 February in the south-western city of Paarl.

Ed Joyce's side will also face Pakistan, West Indies and India in the five-team group. The top two in each of the two groups will advance to the semi-finals. The final then takes place on 26 February.

The Irish squad which will be captained by Laura Delany will prepare for the World Cup with warm-up fixtures after departing Dublin on 27 January.

A pair of prep matches against Bangladesh will take place in Cape Town on 31 January and 2 February respectively before the two official warm-up matches against Sri Lanka and Australia in Stellenbosch on 5 and 8 February respectively.

It will be the first Irish appearance at the World Cup since the 2018 edition and Cricket Ireland national selector Carrie Archer said: "While we came heartbreakingly close at the 2019 qualifier, we ultimately fell short, so this year's qualification felt like redemption and reward for the hard work the players, coaches and support staff have put in.

"The squad’s average age is only 24, with most players aged between 17 and 23. This age profile is an exciting aspect for Irish cricket as this group will hopefully be together for a good few years to come, and will only get better over time."

Ireland squad: Laura Delany (captain), Georgina Dempsey, Amy Hunter, Shauna Kavanagh, Arlene Kelly, Gaby Lewis, Louise Little, Sophie MacMahon, Jane Maguire, Cara Murray, Leah Paul, Orla Prendergast, Eimear Richardson, Rebecca Stokell, Mary Waldron.

Ireland World Cup group stage fixtures

13 February: Ireland v England (Paarl)1