DUBLIN – Cricket Ireland has confirmed today that the Ireland Wolves will head to Abu Dhabi in April to play a series of fixtures against Sri Lanka A and Afghanistan A. Pembroke CC and Leinster Lightning leg-spinner Gavin Hoey will captain the side.
The Ireland Wolves programme began in 2017 when a squad of emerging and fringe players were selected to travel to Bangladesh to play a multi-format series. Initially set up as a joint Academy and A Team, the Ireland Wolves has subsequently become the key stepping stone between domestic and international cricket (see scorecards here).
Andrew White, National Men’s Selector, said:
“The Ireland Wolves programme has become an important part of our talent pathway – both as a succession planning tool and as a means of giving future internationals a taste of life as an international cricketer. It is these sorts of tours that we envisioned when the Wolves programme was set up.
“It’s always great to send a squad to the UAE, as we play a lot of cricket in this part of the world nowadays. This tour offers a great opportunity for the players to demonstrate their ability to adapt to unfamiliar conditions and deal with opponents that will offer skillsets that are equally unfamiliar..
“The multi-format nature of the tour also mimics what the players will face if they take that step up to the next level and will be a test in itself. The squad ranges from full internationals (with 41 senior caps between them) to some of Ireland’s best emerging talent and we look forward to seeing them in action.
“Head Coach Gary Wilson will oversee the tour, while we have asked Gavin Hoey to captain the squad. Gavin made his full international debut late last year and has demonstrated a good tactical cricket brain. I have no doubt he will relish this challenge.”
IRELAND WOLVES’ FIXTURES
- 7-10 April 2025: Afghanistan A v Ireland Wolves – four-day match (Abu Dhabi)
- 13 April 2025: Sri Lanka A v Ireland Wolves – one-day match (Abu Dhabi)
- 17 April 2025: Afghanistan A v Ireland Wolves – one-day match (Abu Dhabi)
- 19 April 2025: Sri Lanka A v Ireland Wolves – one-day match (Abu Dhabi)
- 21 April 2025: Afghanistan A v Ireland Wolves – one-day match (Abu Dhabi)
- 25 April 2025: Tri-Series Final – one-day match (Abu Dhabi)
IRELAND WOLVES SQUAD
- Gavin Hoey (c) (Pembroke / Leinster Lightning)
- Ross Adair (Lisburn / Northern Knights)
- Ben Calitz (Muckamore / Northern Knights)
- Cade Carmichael (Instonians / Northern Knights)
- Chris Defreitas (Balbriggan / Leinster Lightning)
- Stephen Doheny (Merrion / North West Warriors)
- Matthew Foster (CSNI / Northern Knights)
- Fionn Hand (Clontarf / Leinster Lightning)
- Scott Macbeth (Bready / North West Warriors)
- Tom Mayes (Waringstown / Northern Knights)
- Liam McCarthy (Railway Union / Munster Reds)
- Jordan Neill (CSNI / Munster Reds)
- Cian Robertson (Instonians / Northern Knights)
- Morgan Topping (Waringstown / Northern Knights)
- Sam Topping (Waringstown / Northern Knights)
Coaches and support staff: Gary Wilson (Head Coach), Chris Brown (Assistant Coach), Mark Rausa (Physiotherapist), Stuart Thompson (Strength & Conditioning), Scott Irvine (Performance Analyst), Chris Siddell (Team Manager)
