Stirling Ruled Out of Ireland’s Test vs New Zealand; Balbirnie to Lead
Paul Stirling has a grade-two strain and will miss Ireland’s one-off Test against New Zealand in Belfast, with Andrew Balbirnie set to captain the side.
By SportCricket Desk · 24 May 2026 · 2 min read
Ireland have lost Paul Stirling for their one-off Test against New Zealand, and Andrew Balbirnie will captain the side against the former World Test Championship winners.
The injury
The four-day match starts in Belfast on May 27. Stirling had been part of the Northern Strikers squad in the 2026 Emerald Challenge as red-ball preparation. He briefly took the field but could not bat, and was later judged unfit for the Test.
Head coach Heinrich Malan said a scan showed a grade-two strain. Quoted by BBC Sport, he said the hope was that it could be rehabilitated properly, but that it might take four to five weeks.
A difficult year
Stirling had only just returned from a knee injury suffered at the Men’s T20 World Cup earlier this year and had not played professionally since. He also gave up the T20I captaincy after that tournament, although he still leads the ODI team.
A significant loss
The 35-year-old is a major absence. He has scored 521 runs in 10 Tests and is among Ireland’s leading performers in the longest format.
Balbirnie steps in as leader once more, having captained Ireland in nine of his 12 Test appearances, as the team prepare for a historic contest against New Zealand.
