Anthony Ireland (cricketer)

Anthony John Ireland (born 30 August 1984) is a cricketer from Zimbabwe. A tall fast bowler, he relies on bounce and swing, and performed consistently during his tenure with Zimbabwe, taking 38 wickets in just 26 matches at a healthy average of 29.34. He was one of many talented white Zimbabweans to leave the team due to the situation of the ZCU and the country, to pursue careers in English domestic cricket, where he has represented Gloucestershire and Middlesex before joining Leicestershire for the 2013 season.

Ireland made his ODI debut against New Zealand at Bulawayo on 24 August 2005 where he took the wickets of both Stephen Fleming and Chris Cairns. He performed consistently with the ball, being one of the few prospects on the Zimbabwe team, after the exodus of players like Gavin Ewing, Andy Blignaut, Henry Olonga, Andy Flower and Tatenda Taibu. However, even with his performances Zimbabwe cricket continued on its downturn, as they gradually became weaker and weaker as an international side.

He toured the West Indies with the Zimbabwean team but broke his left hand in practice. Although he recovered, he struggled to adapt to the West Indian conditions, as Zimbabwe were thrashed 5-0 by the hosts. A regular member of the side in 2006, he was selected in the 2007 Cricket World Cup squad and returned to the Caribbean, taking a wicket in each of his games.

Zimbabwe was at an all-time low at this point in time, and Ireland, soon after Zimbabwe were eliminated from the 2007 Cricket World Cup, retired from international cricket. He explained his decision in an exclusive interview with Cricinfo. He felt he was wasting his talents for a poor side, in a country in political turmoil, and felt that he should pursue his cricket elsewhere, and so Anthony Ireland went to England.