Paul Stirling ruled out of T20 World Cup with knee injury

Cricket Ireland made the announcement on Friday that Ireland captain Paul Stirling has been ruled out of the ongoing ICC Men's T20 World Cup due to a knee injury. Taking a diving catch in the seventh over of the first innings to dismiss Australian opener Josh Inglis on Thursday caused Stirling to injure his knee. As he came down, he landed on the point of his knee on an area of hard ground, and he left the field, handing over the captaincy duties to his deputy, Lorcan Tucker. Stirling informed Ireland management that he believed he could bat when he walked out to bat during the run chase. He took a few steps on the first ball, however, and his knee buckled as he set off for a single. The injured Irish captain had to retire. Sam Topping, a 20-year-old uncapped wicketkeeper and batsman, has been selected as Stirling's replacement by Ireland. Topping is currently in Chennai for the Northern Knights' off-season training camp. Last season, Topping scored 217 runs at 31.00 in T20s with a strike rate of 140 in his home domestic season. Topping's inclusion is also critical as Ben Calitz is carrying some pain in his hand from the last match. "Paul Stirling underwent an assessment and a scan after the Australian match which has subsequently revealed ligament damage - as a result, he has been ruled out of the remainder of the T20 World Cup," Cricket Ireland Director of High Performance Graeme West stated regarding the replacement. Paul will soon return to his home country for recuperation and rest before the summer. "We have called up Sam Topping to replace Paul. Because he is only a short flight away in Chennai, he can provide immediate cover. Sam has been playing and training with the Northern Knights' training squad in conditions similar to Sri Lanka's. Ben Calitz, who also has a hand injury from the previous game, needs the cover that his skill set provides for the team in a number of different areas.