With their star players missing due to injury, Ireland have announced a
severely depleted 13-member squad for their one-dayers against India and South
Africa beginning on June 23.
In the bowling department, Andre Botha, Dave Langford-Smith and most disappointingly
of all, Boyd Rankin have all failed to recover from their respective injuries
in time.
The batting also lacks depth and to compound their troubles,
both Jeremy Bray and Eoin Morgan have declared themselves unavailable
while their allrounder Peter Gillespie has decided to call it a day.
"There's no doubt we have been badly hit by injuries," coach Phil
Simmons was quoted as saying by the official website of Irish Cricket Union.
"Langford-Smith has a side injury, and this type of injury
can be very slow to heal. Both Andre Botha (elbow injury) and Boyd Rankin
(stress fracture of the fibula), are still two or three weeks away from full
fitness, but I'm confident all three will be ready for the quadrangular tournament,"
he said.
Morgan's case is a great concern as more and more Ireland players pledge their
future to England.
"Morgan has informed me that he isn't available for the ODIs because of
his commitments with Middlesex," Simmons said.
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