Liam McCarthy Registers Unwanted Record, Achieves Second-Worst Bowling Figures In T20I History

Ireland's young pacer Liam McCarthy had a debut to forget in T20 Internationals, as he endured a rough outing against the West Indies on June 15 in Bready, Northern Ireland.

Making his first appearance for the national side in the shortest format, McCarthy was taken apart by the West Indian batting lineup, eventually finishing with figures of 0 for 81 in his allotted four overs.

After Ireland skipper Paul Stirling won the toss and opted to field first, McCarthy was introduced into the attack in the fifth over of the innings. His initiation into international cricket was harsh, with Windies captain Shai Hope smashing his first two deliveries for sixes. Evin Lewis then added to the onslaught, dispatching the fourth and fifth balls for boundaries, taking 21 runs from the over.

Things only went downhill from there. McCarthy's second over proved even more expensive, as Lewis tore into him with a sequence of 6, 4, 4, and 4 on the first four balls. Hope capped the over with another boundary, adding 24 runs to the total.

In his third over, the aggression continued. Shimron Hetmyer took a liking to the pace, sending three of McCarthy's deliveries to the boundary, while Keacy Carty joined the fun with a four of his own, resulting in 18 runs from that over.

McCarthy's final over offered no respite, as Carty launched another attack, slamming a four and two sixes to bring the pacer's total to 81 runs without taking a wicket.

This dismal return now stands as the second-worst bowling performance in T20I history. The only bowler to have conceded more in a single T20I match is Musa Jobarteh of Gambia, who gave away 93 runs in four overs against Zimbabwe in the T20 World Cup Africa Qualifiers in Nairobi in October 2024.

Sri Lanka's Kasun Rajitha holds the third spot on the list, with 75 runs conceded against Australia in 2019.

It was a tough lesson for McCarthy on debut, as West Indies showcased their power-hitting prowess in emphatic fashion.