Ireland will be without both Josh Little and Mark Adair for the T20I series against England in Malahide next month.

The Ireland selectors picked the squad on Monday night but injuries have ruled out their two strike bowlers.

Little has a stress fracture of a rib that he aggravated in a Metro Bank Cup game for Middlesex and Mark Adair had an operation last week to ‘clean up’ his troublesome knee.

Adair turned up at Stormont on Wednesday for Northern Knights IP Cup game against Leinster Lightning on crutches and while insisting he had not given up on playing in the glamour series, which starts in exactly four weeks’ time, he has been told “it’s not worth the risk”.

Adair underwent the operation to ensure he would be fit and ready for Ireland’s next Test match action, against Bangladesh in November. Little has yet to play Test cricket.

With Barry McCarthy and Graham Hume the other front-line Ireland pace bowlers also currently on the injured list, it is only Craig Young who is (just) back fit and bowling, although Jordan Neill, who made his debut against West Indies in Clontarf in May – only to sustain a shoulder injury 21 overs into the game – has also returned to the crease.

It has also been confirmed that in next month’s Emerald Challenge 50-over games at Stormont, the two new balls will be cut back to one after 34 overs, as per the new rules in one-day international cricket.