Ireland cricket: Kevin O'Brien omitted from T20 squad as Ben White receives ODI call-up

Image source, Inpho

Image caption, O'Brien has played 110 T20 matches for Ireland, scoring 1973 runs

Kevin O'Brien has been omitted from Ireland's T20 squad for upcoming series against the USA and West Indies.

The 37-year-old batter opened for the team during their disappointing World Cup campaign in which they failed to qualify for the Super 12s.

Shane Getkate and William McClintock are recalled to the 15-man squad.

In the ODI panel there is a first call-up for 23-year-old leg-spinner Ben White, who made his T20 debut against South Africa in July.

Andrew Balbirnie will captain the side in both formats over the Christmas period in the US before they travel to the Caribbean on 31 December.

Twelve players feature in both squads, with bowler Josh Little set to miss the T20s against the United States due to his commitments in the Lanka Premier League.

O'Brien, who retired from one-day duty earlier this year, scored 39 runs across Ireland's three World Cup matches as they followed up a win against the Netherlands with losses to Sri Lanka and Namibia.

Gareth Delany, Getkate and McClintock will play exclusively T20 while Andy McBrine, William Porterfield and Harry Tector are selected in the ODI squad.

After the disappointing World Cup exit Ireland have tweaked their order with Balbirnie joining all-time leading run-scorer Paul Stirling at the top with Getkate and McClintock reintroduced further down.

"We had hoped that we could have avoided the need to qualify for next year's T20 World Cup through advancing to the Super 12 stage of the last tournament, but our early exit means that our transition and succession planning horizons have been shortened somewhat," said chair of selectors Andrew White.

"The USA and West Indies tour has taken on a greater sense of importance - and indeed, a greater sense of urgency regarding some of the tactical changes we need to consider."

Ireland squads for white-ball tours of the USA and West Indies

T20: Andrew Balbirnie (c), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Shane Getkate, Josh Little, Barry McCarthy, William McClintock, Neil Rock, Simi Singh, Paul Stirling, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White, Craig Young.

ODI: Andrew Balbirnie (c), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Josh Little, Andy McBrine, Barry McCarthy, William Porterfield, Neil Rock, Simi Singh, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White, Craig Young.