Byron McDonough receives his first call-up to the Ireland squad ahead of the Sigenergy One-Day International series against Afghanistan which begins tomorrow. The 24-year old seam bowler said he was “in disbelief for quite some time after” when he received the call from National Selector Andrew White.
McDonough has enjoyed a breakthrough season for Leinster Lightning, particularly in the 50-over format, playing a large part in their double success when winning the Inter-Provincial 50-over Cup and the Inter-Provincial T20 Trophy in the last couple of weeks.
On his call up, Byron McDonough said:
“I was in disbelief for quite some time after – I probably didn’t get all the words out that I wanted to while on the call as I was at the office! It was an incredible way to end a Friday. Besides that, I am extremely grateful to receive this opportunity and represent Ireland for the sport which I love so much. It goes without saying, I will give this my all.”
Having grown up in the coastal town of Ballito in Durban, South Africa, Byron and his family moved to Ireland in 2020 searching for a lifestyle change. McDonough has not only spent his time improving his cricket skills, he has been studying and working, too:
“I started my life in Ireland down in Cork where I completed a four-year honours degree in accounting at MTU and played cricket during the summers. I am currently working for Azets where I have been for two years. I am completing my ACA qualification with them. It’s been a hard task juggling my day job and profession and trying to make a name for myself in cricket.”
Family support has been important for McDonough, who had great support from his father, Greig, in particular:
“We have always appreciated sport as a family, however, I am the first to achieve something like this in cricket. My first memories of playing cricket are playing in the driveway at home in Durban with my old man. Younger Byron would be proud to hear I’d received a call like I did on Friday!
“All sport was embraced in our house, so I took part in as many as possible – cricket, rugby, sevens, swimming, tennis, ocean free-diving, and running. Cricket was my favourite sport on the calendar when I was growing up, though, whether it was at school, club, or in the garden with friends.
“My abilities really only made an appearance as I got a bit older and embraced the sport even more in Ireland. Having spent the majority of my childhood watching cricket at the Kingsmead Stadium in Durban, I naturally took a liking to the legends of Morné Morkel, Dale Steyn and Kagiso Rabada. You could always feel their raw power and determination to pick up as many sticks as possible.”
On whether he ever considered that one day he would play international cricket, McDonough said:
“I suppose every young boy always dreams of this. I was always hopeful but never let that get in the way of my love for the sport. Since moving to Ireland, I’ve been able to give cricket my all and enhance my abilities with all the support I’ve received along the way. I think my old man probably saw the vision more than I did whilst growing up, so having massive support and backing from him made all the difference.”
Speaking about how playing in the Inter-Provincial Series has helped him to develop his game, he said:
“I played two seasons previously for the Munster Reds and I feel I have come a long way since then. Making it into the Leinster Lightning squad has instilled a lot of confidence in my game – especially because you are playing alongside some of Ireland’s best.”
On the reason behind his choice of shirt number, McDonough said:
“It was an easy choice, the number 16. It is a sentimental date. I’m so glad it was up for grabs. The 16th was the day I proposed to my now fiancé. She always has my back so I felt it was fitting to wear it on mine.”
About his expectations for the series:
“I am expecting a really competitive series. Afghanistan are a strong side with a lot of quality players, so we know it’ll be a good challenge. We’ll be coming into the series off the back of a successful T20 series against India, and we’ll be looking to carry that momentum into the ODIs. From a personal perspective, it’s incredibly exciting to have the opportunity to make my ODI debut. As a pace bowler, I’m looking forward to testing myself against international batters, contributing whenever I’m called upon, and doing everything I can to help the team have a successful series. I’m ready to get stuck in.”
IRELAND MEN’S ODI SQUAD
- Paul Stirling (c)
- Mark Adair
- Andrew Balbirnie
- Ben Calitz
- Curtis Campher
- Cade Carmichael
- George Dockrell
- Gavin Hoey
- Andrew McBrine
- Liam McCarthy
- Byron McDonough
- Jai Moondra
- Harry Tector
- Lorcan Tucker
FIXTURES
SigEnergy Ireland v Afghanistan ODI Series
- 5 August 2026: Ireland Men v Afghanistan Men – ODI (Bready; starts 10.45am)
- 7 August 2026: Ireland Men v Afghanistan Men – ODI (Bready; starts 10.45am)
- 10 August 2026: Ireland Men v Afghanistan Men – ODI (Stormont; starts 10.45am)
- 12 August 2026: Ireland Men v Afghanistan Men – ODI (Stormont; starts 10.45am)
- 15 August 2026: Ireland Men v Afghanistan Men – ODI (Stormont; starts 10.45am)
HOW TO WATCH, FOLLOW OR ATTEND
Watch:
- In Ireland / UK, every match will be streamed on YouTube
- Rest of the world:
- Fancode (India)
- Tapmad (Pakistan)
- Ariana Television (Afghanistan)
- Cricbuzz (North America, South East Asia, Middle East, North Africa)
Follow:
- You can see all the match scores via www.cricketireland.ie
