THE LAST obstacle to Middlesex star Tim Murtagh playing for Ireland was removed this week, the Irish Daily Star can reveal.

The Irish passport that dropped through his letterbox last Saturday morning completes the process of qualifying to play cricket for the land of his ancestors.

"It came through last Saturday, so it's all good to go at my end", he said yesterday.

"It just needs the selectors to pick me now."

Because the passport arrived before the ICC cut-off date of February 12th, Murtagh can now play for Ireland in World Twenty20 qualifier.

Murtagh – who took 80 wickets in 15 championship games last summer – can now be added to the 17 man squad already named for the Dubai qualifier, which will be reduced to 14 before the event.

It was a teammate who tipped him off to the opportunity.

"In the pub Ed Joyce started quizzing me on my Irish roots and he reckoned I qualified for Ireland.

"He made a couple of calls and then (performance director) Mark Garaway checked me out.

"I had to chase down lots of original birth, marriage and death certificates before I applied in October."

Murtagh also had a frank chat with coach Phil Simmons.

"Middlesex director of cricket Angus Fraser drove me up to Loughborough to meet Phil just before Christmas.

"He said he'd like me to part of the team but he wouldn't make any guarantees, which is fair enough.

"He's a good man – I think I played against him at the tail-end of his career with Leicestershire."

Murtagh has played twice against Ireland – in 2006 for Surrey when the match was ruined by Belfast rain, and the following season for Middlesex at Clontarf. He took 1-38 and a catch to dismiss Kevin O'Brien.

His brother Chris, 27, also played county cricket for Surrey, for whom their Dad played at 2nd XI level. Dublin-born uncle Andy played for Hampshire in the 1970s.

"It's something I should have done a long time ago", says the Middlesex all-rounder, who was 30 in August.

"My uncle and dad have been joking about it for years."