Paul Robert Stirling (born 3 September 1990) is an Irish cricketer from Northern Ireland who plays for the Ireland cricket team as an opening batsman and occasional right-arm off-break bowler. He is among the leading run-scorers in Twenty20 International cricket and was one of the eleven players to feature in Ireland's inaugural Test match, against Pakistan, in May 2018. Stirling currently serves as Ireland's permanent limited-overs captain.
| Full name | Paul Robert Stirling |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | 3 September 1990 |
| Origin | Northern Ireland |
| Nationality (cricket) | Irish |
| Batting | Opening batsman |
| Bowling | Right-arm off-break (occasional) |
| Domestic team | Middlesex |
| National team | Ireland |
| First-class debut | March 2008 (Intercontinental Cup) |
| ODI debut | 2008 |
| Test debut | May 2018, vs Pakistan |
| Current role | Permanent limited-overs captain of Ireland (since October 2023) |
Stirling hails from Northern Ireland and represents the Ireland cricket team in international competition. Before turning professional, he came through the youth and Second XI ranks of English county side Middlesex.
Stirling made his first-class debut in March 2008, playing for Ireland in the Intercontinental Cup, and made his One Day International (ODI) debut later the same year. After representing Middlesex's youth sides and Second XI, he signed a contract with the county in December 2009. A month later, he was awarded a contract with Cricket Ireland, becoming one of only six players at the time with a full-time contract from the board. He made his Twenty20 debut for Middlesex in 2010 and his List A debut for the county in 2011.
In May 2018, Stirling was one of the eleven cricketers to play in Ireland's first ever Test match, against Pakistan. In December 2018, he was among nineteen players awarded a central contract by Cricket Ireland for the 2019 season. In January 2020, he again received a central contract, in the first year in which all such contracts were issued on a full-time basis.
Stirling was appointed vice-captain of Ireland in June 2020. Following the resignation of Andrew Balbirnie, he served as interim captain in the T20I and ODI formats. In October 2023, he was appointed as Ireland's permanent limited-overs captain.
Stirling has been a central figure in Ireland's transition to a Test-playing nation and is among the foremost batters produced by Irish cricket. His record-setting ODI run aggregates and his standing among the top run-scorers in T20 internationals underline his role as one of the principal limited-overs batters from an Associate-turned-Full Member nation.