The absence of Andrew Balbirnie from the Leinster Lightning team for their final T20 Trophy game against Northern Knights this week proved to be the first clue to the Ireland squad for this month’s T20 internationals against South Africa in Abu Dhabi.

Although the man who started last year as Ireland’s captain across all three formats retains his place in the squad for the three one-day internationals which complete the five-match ‘home’ series, Balbirnie has been dropped from the T20 squad as, in the words of National Selector Andrew White, Ireland look to “introduce a new dynamic” at the top of the order. But he will not be replaced as opener by Ross Adair.

Adair remains in the squad but the fact he batted at No 5 for Knights at Oak Hill would indicate he will not open the batting against the Proteas – the position he has played in his eight internationals to date – but will now be used as a finisher.

Favourite to open with skipper Paul Stirling is Lorcan Tucker, who faced the first ball in this week’s T20, with Harry Tector set to be promoted to No 3, as per the Lightning batting order.

Balbirnie scored more runs than Stirling (22-12) at the T20 World Cup in June and unlike his successor as white-ball captain has two half-centuries – against Pakistan and Scotland – in his last 10 matches, but with the current skipper unlikely to lose his place (despite a top score of 36 in his last 19 T20Is) it is Balbirnie who is the fall-guy as Ireland begin the countdown to the 2026 World Cup.

There are still no new caps although White said that because of injuries, Morgan Topping and Liam McCarthy could not be considered. Instead, there are recalls for Fionn Hand and Matthew Humphreys with Josh Little, allowed to continue to stay at the Caribbean Premier League, and the injured Barry McCarthy the only other absentees from the World Cup squad.

Adair, Gareth Delany and Ben White will drop out for the ODIs to be replaced by Andy McBrine, Balbirnie, Stephen Doheny, who played the last of his nine ODIs against Bangladesh in May last year, and Gavin Hoey who is still awaiting his debut.