Ireland call on Rankin

19 August 2008

Boyd Rankin © Getty Images

Warwickshire pace bowler Boyd Rankin has been named in the Ireland squad to face Kenya for The Carnegie Cup in three one-day internationals in Belfast.

Rankin, who took four wickets in his comeback LV County Championship Division Two match against Essex last week, has not played since the World Cup game with Sri Lanka in April 2007, Adrian Birrell's last game as coach.

The tall fast bowler will be available for the internationals on Sunday and Monday, but misses the third game on Wednesday. All matches will take place at Civil Service Cricket Club in Stormont.

Skipper Will Porterfield and Gary Wilson have been released by Gloucestershire and Surrey respectively for every game, but Niall O'Brien is available only for the first and Eoin Morgan misses all three.

Coach Phil Simmons has named a squad of 14 and, if the weather relents, Kyle McCallan will win his 200th cap for Ireland if he plays on Sunday and Monday.

Squad: Will Porterfield (captain, Gloucestershire), Andre Botha (North County), Peter Connell (North Down), Alex Cusack (Clontarf), Gary Kidd (Waringstown), Kyle McCallan (Waringstown), Kevin O'Brien (Railway Union), Niall O'Brien (Northamptonshire).
Sunday only: Andrew Poynter (Clontarf), Boyd Rankin (Warwickshire).
Sunday and Monday: Paul Stirling (Cliftonville), Reinhardt Strydom (North County), Andrew White (Instonians), Gary Wilson (Surrey).