Paul Stirling

An admirer of the Australian legend Ricky Ponting, Paul Stirling has been a loyalist from the Under-13 ranks to representing Ireland on the international stage. A full-fledged member in both the formats of the game Ireland plays, Stirling has shown promises with his bat as an opener. He followed in his team-mate Eoin Morgan by joining Middlesex in 2009 for a three-year contract, but unlike Morgan, Paul has held his faith with the Irish population with firm commitment.

Stirling was drafted into the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup in West Indies where Ireland could only manage to win two out of their four matches, but the talented all-rounder came up with a century against the Dutch. A 134-ball 177 against Canada in 2010 took him to the record books, as he became the holder of the highest ODI score by an Irishman.