[12][13] McCallan made his debut for Ireland on 2 June 1996, playing against Wales in Dublin,[14] taking a wicket with his first delivery.
[7] He was named in the Ireland squad for the 1996 Triple Crown Tournament in Wales,[16] but only played one match, against the hosts.
[6] He was not named in Ireland's squad for the 1997 ICC Trophy,[11] but did become a regular member of the team after the tournament.
[20] Several matches against Australia A in August,[14] one of which was first-class,[6] served as preparation for the 1998 Commonwealth Games, where McCallan represented Northern Ireland, playing against South Africa, Barbados and Bangladesh.
[7] The final year of the 20th century was a quiet one for Kyle McCallan's cricket career when compared to 1998.
[14] The first event in 2000 for McCallan was the ICC Emerging Nations Tournament[21] in Zimbabwe, playing against Scotland, Kenya and Denmark in addition to the host's A team.
[11] He was one of two Irish bowlers to take ten wickets in the tournament[23] and was named man of the match against the Netherlands.
[30] The following year, 2006, was a busy one for Irish cricket as they prepared to make their World Cup debut and McCallan was a key part of their side.
[9] The year continued with the European Championship[31] and a further Intercontinental Cup match against Scotland in Aberdeen.
[6] Ireland's build up to their first Cricket World Cup appearance in March 2007 started with a trip to Kenya in January/February to play in Division One of the World Cricket League, playing ODIs against Bermuda, Canada, Kenya, the Netherlands and Scotland.
The World Cup itself started with a tied match against Zimbabwe, before Ireland beat Pakistan.
[35] In first-class cricket, his top score is 65,[1] against Scotland,[36] and his best innings bowling is 5/34,[1] in the Intercontinental Cup final against Canada.