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Cricket Ireland has defended the absence of star bowler Josh Little from next week’s Lord’s Test against England, declaring that the match is not “a pinnacle event”.
The 23-year-old left-arm seamer is one of Irish cricket’s hottest properties and landed a deal worth more than £400,000 with Gujarat Titans in this year’s Indian Premier League.
But he will be conspicuous by his absence when his country play only their second Test against England, having requested a break.
Little’s sabbatical follows his busy schedule in limited-overs cricket.
Champions of Test cricket will see that as a worrying signal at a time when the most prestigious form of the game is being squeezed from all sides by franchise tournaments, but for Ireland the matter is more clear-cut.
The World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe in June and July is a clear priority for the visitors, who are looking to qualify for the World Cup in India later this year, and…
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