CALITZ CALL-UP TOUGH ON TECTOR

Ben Calitz is the controversial new face in an Ireland squad of 14 named on Monday to play a three-match T20 international series against England at Malahide, starting next Wednesday.

As expected, the Boys in Green will be without injured seam bowling trio Mark Adair, Josh Little and Fionn Hand for the series but on the batting front the national selectors have surprisingly turned to Calitz as a potential answer to their middle-order woes. 

“I go well against spin in the middle overs and have quite a few gears I can go through,,” the 23-year-old left-hander and back-up wicketkeeper said recently. 

“ Simon Johnston has helped my game massively with a greater emphasis on ball striking and I’m reaping the benefits in terms of improved strike rate. I’m much more attacking and aggressive.”

But the inclusion of Calitz, who plays for Lisburn in the NCU and became Irish qualified five months ago, is horribly tough on Tim Tector, the leading T20 run scorer by some distance in domestic cricket.

The younger brother of Ireland regualr Harry only made his Ireland debut this year and has impressed greatly in the InterPro series, scoring 137 runs more than anyone else.

Why the Pembroke, batsman has been overlooked in favour of Calitz is hard to fathom although cynics may suggest the answer lies in the new boy’s background.

Because while the press release that accompanied the squad announcement emphasised that Calitz was born in Vancouver and is a former Canada U19 player, his family are South African.

And if he plays against England he will become the fifth countryman of Ireland coach Heinrich Malan to make his debut this year for the Boys in Green. 

The only other debutant in that time is Tector.

IRELAND SQUAD: Paul Stirling (c) (Donemana), Ross Adair (Lisburn), Ben Calitz (Lisburn), Curtis Campher (Clontarf), Gareth Delany (Leinster), George Dockrell (Phoenix), Graham Hume (Waringstown), Matthew Humphreys (Lisburn), Barry McCarthy (Pembroke), Jordan Neil (CSNI), Harry Tector (Pembroke), Lorcan Tucker (w/k) (Pembroke), Ben White (Phoenix), Craig Young (North Down).