England’s one-day series against Ireland represents a comeback for two left-arm seamers after Reece Topley and David Willey were named in a 14-man squad that also finds a home for Joe Denly. The three-match series, which begins on Thursday, is being played behind closed doors in the “bubble” at Southampton and sits sandwiched between the Test series against West Indies and Pakistan. Thus with five members of last year’s World Cup squad on red-ball duty – Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer, Chris Woakes and Mark Wood – the selectors can give opportunities to others, with the recall of Topley the most heartening. The 26-year-old has not played for England since the 2016 World Twenty20 because of a run of five stress fractures to his lower back that required numerous operations and led to his release by Hampshire. But the 6ft 7in left-armer built himself back to full fitness at Sussex last year before a winter move to Surrey. Willey, the other southpaw in the attack, makes his first appearance since losing his spot to Archer on the eve of the World Cup. Having overcome that disappointment, the 30-year-old believes he has rediscovered the swing that went missing at the start of last summer. Batting-wise, beyond the established likes of Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy, England continue their blooding of Tom Banton, Somerset’s explosive Twenty20 opener. James Vince and Sam Billings are two regular names on the fringes who have both been afforded another chance here also. Denly, who moved across the white-ball bubble after being dropped for the second Test against West Indies, also gets a go but aged 34, and having been overlooked for the World Cup last year, the persistence of Ed Smith’s selection panel here is starting to look strange from the outside. The Kent right-hander was the surprise recipient of a white-ball contract at the end of last summer – a time when he was solely in the Test team – and though he made two half-centuries when a weakened England ODI side drew 1-1 in South Africa in February, his inclusion appears to block the path of younger men. Phil Salt, for example, made a 58-ball century for the Lions against Ireland on Sunday but the 23-year-old Sussex opener misses out. So too Sam Hain, the 25-year-old Warwickshire No 3 whose average of 59.78 in List A cricket is the highest in the world for any batsman north of 50 matches. With the T20 World Cup pushed back 12 months to October next year, and England’s defence of their 50-over crown not taking place until late 2023, by which time Denly will be 37, it seems a curious time to back the older horse. James Taylor, part of the England selection panel, said: “There are a number of players who will feel unlucky to have missed out and that says a lot for how many we’ve got pushing hard.” The series against Ireland, in which Moeen Ali will act as vice-captain to Eoin Morgan and all three fixtures will be staged as day-nighters, is the first to be part of the International Cricket Council’s new 13-team Super League. Like the World Test Championship, it is a lopsided affair in which the 12 full member nations, plus the Netherlands, need to play four series at home and four away over the next three years as part of a league system. The top seven will qualify automatically for the 2023 World Cup, along with the hosts India. The five teams who miss out then meet the five best association nations for a qualifying tournament in 2023, with the final two World Cup spots up for grabs.