Ireland bank on pace for debut Test against Pakistan

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An experienced squad led by long-time captain William Porterfield will face Pakistan at Malahide Cricket Club when the two sides meet next week in what will be Ireland's first Test match.

Cricket Ireland's 14-man squad includes many stalwarts of the Irish game, including the O'Brien brothers, Andrew Balbirnie and Paul Stirling. Left-arm spinner George Dockrell, who has struggled for form and had a disappointing World Cup qualifying campaign in Zimbabwe, was left out.

Ireland's best chance of troubling Pakistan in home conditions lies in the quality and strength of their seam bowling, and unsurprisingly, players with that skill set feature heavily in the squad. Boyd Rankin, Tim Murtagh, Stuart Thompson, Tyrone Kane, and Kevin O'Brien are all handy options in their own conditions. Less than a week ago, Pakistan were bowled out for 168 against second division Kent, their troubles to handle seam bowling particularly evident.

Despite this being their first Test match, Ireland probably won't go into it with eleven debutants. Veteran fast bowler Boyd Rankin has played one Test - for England - over four years ago. That came against Australia in Sydney, the fifth match of a series England lost 5-0.

Ireland will become the 11th side to play Test cricket, after the ICC last year approved them, along with Afghanistan, as the 11th and 12th ICC Full Members. They have been a consistently impressive side around the fringes of the top ten for the past decade or so, and Pakistan, of all nations, need no reminding of their potential to cause an upset. In the 2007 World Cup, Ireland stunned Pakistan in the group stage by three wickets, knocking them out of the competition on St Patrick's Day. They claimed a Full Member scalp in each of the following World Cups, beating England by chasing down 329 in 2011, and trouncing West Indies in the sides' opening game in 2015.

Squad: William Porterfield (capt), Andrew Balbirnie, Ed Joyce, Tyrone Kane, Andy McBrine, Tim Murtagh, Kevin O'Brien, Niall O'Brien (wk), Boyd Rankin, Nathan Smith, Paul Stirling, James Shannon, Stuart Thompson, Gary Wilson

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