PAUL Stirling did not travel with his four fellow county professionals today to join up with the Ireland squad in Australia for their pre-World Cup acclimatisation tour.

Stirling missed Middlesex’s last two county championship matches of the season and although he was named in the Ireland squad of 18 for the month-long trip Down Under, he was immediately rated a doubt.

The diagnosis is inflammation of the back and rest is the only cure so although he has not been ruled out of the entire tour, which moves on to New Zealand on October 11, Ireland will take no chances to ensure their star opening batsman makes a full recovery and can play a full part in the World Cup finals, now less than five months away.

Ireland have no plans yet to call up a replacement for Stirling and with three of the late arrivals in Australia top order batsmen, namely captain William Porterfield, Niall O’Brien and Gary Wilson, and with Ed Joyce being rested, there is only one recognised opening batsman for Ireland’s first tour game, against a full strength Queensland Bulls, on Tuesday.

Andrew Balbirnie and Stuart Poynter, neither of whom are certain to be in Ireland’s final World Cup 15, will be the likely pair to face the new ball with Andrew Poynter, Stuart Thompson and Kevin O’Brien the other batsmen in situ.

Only Tim Murtagh is missing from the bowling attack for Tuesday’s match but it is injuries rather than unavailability which are the problem in this department. Max Sorensen was unfit to travel, Alex Cusack is unlikely to play before the four games in New Zealand and George Dockrell’s shoulder kept him out of Ireland’s ODI series against Scotland this month.

But, with a second match, also against the Bulls on Thursday, and two games in Canberra next week, there will be plenty of opportunity for everyone to adapt to Australian conditions where four of their World Cup games will be played next year.