Ireland's Stuart Poynter ends international career at 28

Poynter has been a mainstay in the Ireland men's side since his debut in 2011, appearing in 21 ODIs, 25 T20Is and a solitary Test match – against Afghanistan earlier this year. It was announced by Durham that he had decided to extend his contract there by a further two years, thus calling time on his international career.

“On behalf of the coaches, players past and present, and staff at Cricket Ireland I would like to thank Stuart for his service to Irish cricket since he made his debut for Ireland in 2011," said Performance Director at Cricket Ireland, Richard Holdsworth. "Stuart has played 60 times for the national side, his last appearance being his Test debut against Afghanistan in early 2019.

“He has certainly been one of a cohort of players who has been part of the rapid climb of Irish cricket over the last decade from Associate Member to Full Member with Test match status, and I’m pleased for Stuart personally that he played in a Test match before he finished with international duties.

“We wish Stuart and his family well with the next phase in their lives and hope that we see him regularly supporting the Irish team as we ourselves move into the next phase of our development.”

The Ireland team are currently gearing up for the upcoming T20 World Cup Qualifier in the UAE. Six of the 14 teams competing in the tournament will win places in next year's T20 World Cup in Australia.