Ireland bank on pace for debut Test against Pakistan
[ad_1] 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 T...