Stirling steps down as T20 captain

As part of a new planning cycle in Ireland cricket, Paul Stirling has announced that he is stepping down as captain of the T20 format. The experienced all-rounder has taken this decision with the 2028 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in mind.

Stirling, 35, was appointed white-ball captain in 2023 and recently led the team at the 2026 T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka. However, despite stepping down from T20 captaincy, he will remain a key member of the squad and continue as captain of the ODI team.

Following this change, Ireland will now have separate captains across all three formats—Andrew Balbirnie in Tests, Paul Stirling in ODIs, while the T20 captain is yet to be announced.

Speaking about his decision, Stirling said he had stepped down after careful consideration. Leading the team in this format was a matter of great pride for him, and captaining his country has always been a huge honour.

He expressed gratitude to his teammates, coaching staff, and Cricket Ireland, and thanked the fans for their continued support. He also reaffirmed his full commitment as ODI captain and said he wants to focus more on his performance.

Stirling added that this marks the beginning of a new chapter for the team and assured that he will fully support the new T20 captain.