Ireland cricket captain Paul Stirling will be sidelined for the final two matches of the one-day international series against Namibia after fracturing his finger. The 36-year-old batter picked up the injury while fielding in the third ODI on Tuesday, a match that ended in defeat and left Ireland 2-1 down in the five-game series.
Squad Changes and Upcoming Fixtures
Tim Tector has been named as a replacement for the injured captain. The younger brother of middle-order batter Harry Tector has not yet played an ODI for the national team, though he has featured in eight T20 matches with an average of 17.
Stirling’s absence is a significant setback for head coach Gary Wilson as the team fights to turn the series around. Although Stirling could not bat during Tuesday’s innings because of his finger injury, he had previously delivered strong performances in Windhoek, scoring 56 and 77 in the opening two matches.
Ireland secured a victory in the series opener on October 22 but subsequently dropped the next two games by margins of 31 and 63 runs. The tour serves as preparation for upcoming World Cup qualifiers next year.
The series continues with the fourth match on Friday before concluding with the final fixture on Sunday.
