Ireland unveils squad for first-ever Test against Zimbabwe

Ireland Cricket has revealed its squad for the landmark first-ever Test match against Zimbabwe, set to be played at Stormont in Belfast from July 25 to 29.

The team features familiar faces like Andrew Balbirnie and Mark Adair, along with newcomers Matthew Humphreys and Gavin Hoey.

This match marks a significant milestone for Ireland, who secured their first-ever red-ball victory since achieving full Test status in March 2024, when they defeated Afghanistan in the UAE by six wickets.

“Humphreys made his Test debut in Sri Lanka and found the going difficult against good players of spin out in the subcontinent. He'd admit himself that he went through a period of a loss of form and maybe a loss of confidence, but he's worked extremely hard to come back into the reckoning," Ireland cricket team selector Andrew White said.

“Hoey is a talented leg spinner, and his ability to spin the ball both ways gives us a strong wicket-taking option. Again, he’s a player that's been on the radar for a while and can play across all three formats," he added.

In addition to being Ireland's first Test against Zimbabwe, this match will be the first Test ever held in Northern Ireland and only their second home red-ball match in nearly seven years.

“On the back of our first victory [against Afghanistan], we’re definitely looking to back that up with another win," White said.

"We're not looking to just pick a squad that will compete; we're looking at a squad that can actually win the Test match - by taking 20 wickets and scoring the runs that we need to score arguably in the first innings to set up the victory," he added.

Squads:

Ireland: Andrew Balbirnie (c), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Gavin Hoey, Graham Hume, Matthew Humphreys, Andy McBrine, Barry McCarthy, James McCollum, PJ Moor, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Craig Young.

Zimbabwe: Craig Ervine (c), Brian Bennett, Johnathan Campbell, Tendai Chatara, Tanaka Chivanga, Joylord Gumbie, Roy Kaia, Clive Madande, Wellington Masakadza, Prince Masvaure, Blessing Muzarabani, Dion Myers, Richard Ngarava, Victor Nyauchi, Sean Williams.