Kelly, Tector return as Ireland Women name squad for England ODIs

Arlene Kelly and Alice Tector, having recovered from injuries, return to Ireland Women's setup as Cricket Ireland announced the squad for the three-match ODI series against England. Gaby Lewis will lead the 14-member squad, which includes Kia McCartney, while Aimee Maguire, Sarah Forbes and Ava Canning miss out due to injuries.

Ireland will begin their tour with a warm-up against an ECB Development XI in Leicester on August 29, before facing England in three ODIs. The series, part of the ICC Women’s Championship, begins in Leicester on September 1, followed by matches in Derby on September 3 and Worcester on September 6.

Ireland squad: Gaby Lewis (captain), Christina Coulter Reilly, Georgina Dempsey, Amy Hunter, Arlene Kelly, Louise Little, Jane Maguire, Lara McBride, Kia McCartney, Cara Murray, Leah Paul, Orla Prendergast, Rebecca Stokell, Alice Tector.

Speaking about the squad, recently appointed Ireland National Women's Selector Lauren Rowles said: "Since starting in this role, I have come to appreciate two key aspects of the Ireland Women’s system. There is real competition for places in the short-term and there is an exciting depth of talent coming through the pipeline which is promising for the medium-to-long term.

"To have genuine competition for places within a senior squad is important as it drives standards and raises the desire of players to achieve more with every opportunity they get. This makes my role harder, which is a good thing, as we try to match the skill sets offered by players to the roles that our tactics require. Form is crucial, but only one aspect that was considered. What we are looking for is to develop a squad that understands what is required at this level to succeed – and you can only do that through first-hand experience.

"That's why the ICC Women's Championship is so important. It provides a regular programme of fixtures against the world’s best sides, which in turn benefits the development and competitiveness of our players. Last month’s series against the West Indies was a case in point. While results didn’t go our way, the exposure that many of our players had to competing against one of the world’s best sides really drove the desire of our players to set their sights at that level," added Rowles.