Paul Stirling has resigned as captain of Ireland’s men’s T20I side with immediate effect, with the decision confirmed on Thursday (March 19), over a month after the team’s campaign at the T20 World Cup concluded.
Stirling’s own participation in the tournament was curtailed due to a right knee injury sustained during Ireland’s heavy defeat to Australia in Colombo. The injury ruled him out for the remainder of the competition, after which Lorcan Tucker assumed leadership responsibilities.
Reflecting on his tenure, Stirling said, “It has been a tremendous honour to lead Ireland in this format and something I have been incredibly proud to do. Captaining your country is a privilege that carries great responsibility, and I’m very grateful for the trust and support I have received during my time in the role.”
Despite stepping aside from T20I captaincy, the 35-year-old confirmed he will continue as Ireland’s ODI skipper, with the focus on securing qualification for next year’s World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
“While I will be stepping away from the T20 captaincy, I remain fully committed to the Ireland team and will continue in my role as ODI captain. I still have a huge amount of ambition as a player and feel this decision will allow me to fully focus on being the best version of myself and making the strongest possible contribution on the field,” Stirling added.
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During his leadership stint, Stirling captained Ireland in 48 T20Is, recording 20 wins and 26 losses, alongside two no-results. He initially took charge on an interim basis following Andy Balbirnie’s resignation in 2023 before being appointed full-time later that year. Ireland exited at the group stage in both the 2024 and 2026 T20 World Cups under his captaincy.
Stirling also holds the record as the most capped player in men’s T20I history, with 163 appearances. He remains Ireland’s leading run-scorer in the format, with only four players globally having accumulated more than his tally of 3895 runs.
