Cricket Ireland have named both U17 and U19 Winter Training squads ahead of a crucial period for the respective age groups.
Cork County’s Aaron Cawley has been rewarded with a place in both Irish winter training squads following impressive performances with the ball for the club in Leinster Division 2 and for the Ireland U17 side during their tour of the UK last season.
Ireland U19 Squad
2017 is particularly vital for Ryan Eagleson’s Under 19 side as they attempt to qualify for the 2018 ICC U19 World Cup in New Zealand.
The former Irish international has named a squad of 18 for the winter programme, including Ireland’s latest cap – left-arm paceman Josh Little from Pembroke.
“With the 2018 Under 19 World Cup in New Zealand the prize, a big summer lies ahead for the squad,” said Lead Coach Eagleson.
“The qualifying tournament will take place in August with the winner getting the “golden ticket” of a place at the World Cup so there is so much at stake.
“Harry Tector, Josh Little and Varrun Chopra played at this year’s World Cup in Bangladesh so they know what to expect at that level. There is good continuity within the youth set-up with 12 members of last year’s successful under 17’s named in the group.”
The Ireland U19 squad in full is as follows:
- Ian Anders (Phoenix/LCU)
- Dean Brogan (Rush/LCU)
- Jack Burton (Carrickfergus/NCU)
- Jack Carson (Waringstown/NCU)
- Aaron Cawley (Cork County/MCU)
- Varun Chopra (Coleraine/NW)
- Mark Donegan (The Hills/LCU)
- Jamie Grassi (North County/LCU)
- Reece Kelly (Bready/NW)
- Graham Kennedy (Ballyspallen/NW)
- Josh Little (Pembroke/LCU)
- Sam Murphy (YMCA/LCU)
- Max Neville (Merrion/LCU)
- Connor O’Gorman (Leinster/LCU)
- Sam Streek (YMCA/LCU)
- Harry Tector (YMCA/LCU)
- Morgan Topping (Waringstown/NCU)
- Andrew Vincent (Clontarf/LCU)
Ireland U17 Squad
Cricket Ireland also announced its U17 training squad, with Lead Coach Nigel Jones and his fellow coaches naming 19 players for the winter schedule.
The squad included three Munster representatives following impressive performances for club, province and country last season with Kaasim Baloch (Limerick), Aaron Cawley (Cork County) and Seanan Jones (Cork Harlequins) all getting the call up for a busy 2017 season. It will be Aaron’s second season with the U17 squad following an impressive 2016 with club and country.
The squad is clearly a talented group with no fewer than eight players also included in the older Under 19 squad as well.
Jones is excited at the talented grouping and is expecting strong performances from his young charges in the coming months.
“I along with my fellow coaching group believe that we have an exciting group of players to work with,” said Jones. “There are no fewer than eight players returning from the 2016 Ireland U17 programme and in addition to this we have named nine players who are only 16 years old and eligible next year as well.
“We believe that their development will be further supported by the returning squad players who will be responsible for setting the standards and pushing this exciting group of players forward into the 2017 season.
“I’d like to take this opportunity on behalf of the Ireland U17 coaching management group to congratulate all those who have been selected and to wish them well with the winter programme ahead.”
The Ireland U17 squad in full is as follows:
- Ian Anders (Phoenix/LCU)
- Kaasim Baloch (Limerick/MCU)
- Eoin Barron (Railway Union/LCU)
- Jack Carson (Waringstown/NCU)
- Aaron Cawley (Cork County/MCU)
- Varun Chopra (Coleraine/NW)
- Adam Clarke (Templepatrick/NCU)
- JJ Garth (Pembroke/LCU)
- Seanan Jones (Cork Harlequins/MCU)
- Josh Little (Pembroke/LCU)
- James McClean (Ballymena/NCU)
- Gregory McFaul (Bready/NW)
- Rory McGovern (YMCA/LCU)
- Max Neville (Merrion/LCU)
- Cian Nulty (Balbriggan/LCU)
- Marcus Poskitt (Coleraine/NW)
- Neil Rock (Rush/LCU)
- Harry Tector (YMCA/LCU)
- Andrew Vincent (Clontarf/LCU)