Ireland skipper and veteran all-rounder Paul Stirling on Thursday went past former India captain Rohit Sharma to make the most T20I appearances in men’s cricket, as he plays in his 160th T20I against the United Arab Emirates in Dubai.
Since making his T20I debut in 2009 against Pakistan, Stirling has been a mainstay at the top of Ireland’s order. Renowned for his aggressive powerplay approach, he has played a key role in many of Ireland’s most memorable T20 performances.
The 35-year-old Stirling is also fourth on the all-time T20I run-scorers list, with 3,874 runs to his name, including one hundred and 24 fifties, behind ace Pakistan batter Babar Azam, Rohit and Virat Kohli.
Stirling’s Ireland teammate George Dockrell is third on the list with
153 appearances, followed by Afghanistan stalwart Mohammad Nabi (148) and England skipper Jos Buttler (144) to complete the top five.
With natural swagger and belligerence allied to a strong build, Stirling generates immense power with minimal effort and is strong, driving straight or pulling the ball over midwicket.
Stirling showed his big-match temperament with two blistering innings against Afghanistan in the finals of the World T20 qualifiers in 2012 and 2013. A back injury has curtailed his bowling, though he has still delivered full spells in the past, including during Ireland’s historic 2011 World Cup victory over England.
Stirling’s power-hitting earned him a place on the franchise circuit, with stints in the Pakistan Super League, BPL, ILT20, SA20 and The Hundred. In the latter, he smashed an unbeaten 74 off 42 deliveries for the Southern Brave in a nine-wicket victory over Welsh Fire in 2022.
Meanwhile, opting to bat first, Ireland posted a respectable 178/6 in their 20 overs. They found themselves at 62/3 in the ninth over before wicketkeeper Lorcan Tucker and Curtis Campher added 55 runs for the fourth wicket.
Ireland slipped to 145/6 in the 18th over before Benjamin Calitz and George Dockrell stitched together a 33-run partnership for the seventh wicket to lift the total to 178.
