Ireland confirm squad for 2023 Women's T20 World Cup

Laura Delany will captain a young Ireland squad, which has an average age of just 24, while former Ireland and England international Ed Joyce serves as head coach

Ireland have confirmed their squad for the 2023 Women's T20 World Cup, their first appearance at the tournament since 2018.

Laura Delany will captain a young squad, which has an average age of just 24, while former Ireland and England international Ed Joyce is involved as head coach.

Under Joyce, Ireland enjoyed a successful 2022, winning eight of their 16 T20Is, including a 10-run victory over South Africa in Dublin and a 2-1 series win against Pakistan in Lahore.

Arlene Kelly, who picked up a team-leading 21 T20I wickets last year, and batters Gaby Lewis (446 runs at a strike rate of 120.86) and Orla Prendergast (329 runs, 133.19 strike rate) are among the players to watch in this squad.

National selector, Carrie Archer, said: "It was incredibly rewarding and encouraging to see our squad progress so far both on and off the field in 2022, recording a number of breakthrough results as a team and as individuals. While there were numerous highlights, the most gratifying of all was the successful T20 World Cup qualifying campaign.

^{Orla Prendergast and Arlene Kelly are among the players to watch in this Ireland squad [Jan Kruger/Charles McQuillian/Getty Images]}

"We haven't featured in a global tournament since 2018. While we came heartbreakingly close at the 2019 qualifier, we ultimately fell short, so this year's qualification felt like redemption and reward for the hard work the players, coaches and support staff have put in.

"The squad's average age is only 24, with most players aged between 17 and 23. This age profile is an exciting aspect for Irish cricket as this group will hopefully be together for a good few years to come, and will only get better over time."

Ireland will arrive in South Africa on January 27 ahead of two unofficial warm-up matches against Bangladesh. They will play two further warm-up matches against Sri Lanka and Australia before kicking off their tournament against England in Paarl on February 13.

Ireland will also face Pakistan (February 15), West Indies (February 17) and India (February 20), with the top two sides progressing to the semi-finals.

Ireland squad: Laura Delany (c), Georgina Dempsey, Amy Hunter, Shauna Kavanagh, Arlene Kelly, Gaby Lewis, Louise Little, Sophie MacMahon, Jane Maguire, Cara Murray, Leah Paul, Orla Prendergast, Eimear Richardson, Rebecca Stokell, Mary Waldron