Matt Dwyer, the left-arm spinner from The Hills who was belatedly capped for Ireland last season aged 39, has announced his retirement from representative cricket at international and interprovincial levels.
He informed the national selectors of his decision after last Thursday's final Triple Crown match, against England at Malahide; ironically, he had been Ireland's best bowler of that game, taking 3 for 17 off 9 overs.
Dwyer can look back on an all-too-brief international career with immense satisfaction. He took the most wickets - 31 - for Ireland last season, and in his 21 matches had an average of 19.19, his best being 4 for 57 against Australia at Rathmines, followed by 3 for 19 against Australia A in Derry.
Two weeks ago, he took 2 for 43 off his 10 overs in the third round NatWest Trophy match against Leicestershire at Castle Avenue.
Meanwhile, Alan Rutherford has been recalled at wicketkeeper at the expense of Andy Patterson for next week's three-day match against the South Africa Development XI at Castle Avenue, while effectively the place held in the Triple Crown tournament by Neil Carson of Instonians has gone to South Africa's Jonty Rhodes, who will play for Ireland in the upcoming series of matches against his fellow countrymen.
Dwayne McGerrigle, who is nursing a shin splints problem, was not considered for next week's match. And Peter Gillespie of Strabane has been omitted this time around, as has Paul Mooney of the Hills for the three-day game.
But Mooney, along with Jason and Greg Molins of Railway Union, will be added to next week's X1 for the other matches against the South Africans.
Pakistani captain Wasim Akram said yesterday that he had no intention of retiring following last month's World Cup defeat. Wasim expressed "surprise" over recent reports that he and seven other senior players intended to quit amid allegations that the World Cup final was rigged.
"It is baseless," Wasim said of the accusations. "I have no (retirement) plans at all and I will be returning to Pakistan by end of August after completing my commitments to start preparations for the next international season," he said.
IRELAND (v South Afrwica Development XI, July 13th-15th, Castle Avenue: A Dunlop (YMCA, capt), B Archer (The Hills), G Cooke (Brigade), J Davy (Pembroke), P Davy (Pembroke), R Eagleson (Carrickfergus), E Joyce (Merrion), K McCallan (Cliftonville), A Rutherford (Woodvale), J Rhodes (South Africa), S Smyth (Brigade).
