The Ireland National Cricket Team are gearing up to play Afghanistan in their first ODI series since November, 15 months after their previous ODI campaign. Under new head coach Gary Wilson, the team is “laser-focused” on World Cup qualification. A five-match series against Afghanistan forms an important part of this endeavor, while England’s ECB has refused to play Afghanistan due to gender apartheid concerns.
| No. | Player | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paul Stirling | Batter / All-rounder |
| 2 | Andrew Balbirnie | Batter |
| 3 | Harry Tector | Batter |
| 4 | Lorcan Tucker | Wicketkeeper-Batter |
| 5 | Ross Adair | Batter |
| 6 | Tim Tector | Batter |
| 7 | Ben Calitz | Wicketkeeper-Batter |
| 8 | Curtis Campher | All-rounder |
| 9 | George Dockrell | All-rounder |
| 10 | Gareth Delany | All-rounder |
| 11 | Mark Adair | Bowler |
| 12 | Andrew McBrine | All-rounder |
| 13 | Gavin Hoey | Bowler |
| 14 | Matthew Humphreys | Bowler |
| 15 | Josh Little | Bowler |
| 16 | Craig Young | Bowler |
| 17 | Barry McCarthy | Bowler |
| 18 | Ben White | Bowler |
| 19 | Stephen Doheny | Wicketkeeper-Batter |
| 20 | Cade Carmichael | Batter |
| 21 | Liam McCarthy | Bowler |
| 22 | Jai Moondra | Bowler |
| 23 | Byron McDonough | Bowler |
| No. | Date | Opponent | Format | Ireland Score | Opponent Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 Aug 2026 | Afghanistan | ODI | 298/7 (50 ov) | 302/4 (48.5 ov) | Afghanistan won by 6 wickets |
| 2 | 12 Aug 2026 | Afghanistan | ODI | 301 (48 ov) | 343/9 (50 ov) | Afghanistan won by 42 runs |
| 3 | 10 Aug 2026 | Afghanistan | ODI | 206 (46.3 ov) | 207/7 (44.5 ov) | Afghanistan won by 3 wickets |
| 4 | 7 Aug 2026 | Afghanistan | ODI | 207 (33.4 ov) | 299/8 (47 ov) | Afghanistan won by 92 runs |
| 5 | 5 Aug 2026 | Afghanistan | ODI | — | — | Match abandoned |
| 6 | 28 Jun 2026 | India | T20I | 154/8 (20 ov) | 153/9 (20 ov) | Ireland won by 1 run |
| 7 | 26 Jun 2026 | India | T20I | 182/9 (20 ov) | 148 (18.5 ov) | Ireland won by 34 runs |
| 8 | 27–29 May 2026 | New Zealand | Test | 179 & 232 | 490/8d | New Zealand won by an innings and 79 runs |
| 9 | 14 Feb 2026 | Oman | T20I | 235/5 (20 ov) | 139 (18 ov) | Ireland won by 96 runs |
| 10 | 11 Feb 2026 | Australia | T20I | 115 (18.1 ov) | 182/6 (20 ov) | Australia won by 67 runs |
Origins
Cricket has been played in Ireland since the 18th Century, although its popularity diminished as other Gaelic Games such as hurling and football became more widespread. Cricket was revived when an Irish Cricket Union was founded during World War One; however, it took until 1959 before their team beat one from a county side!
Success came in 2007, when Zimbabwe, Pakistan and Bangladesh all defeated them on their journey to an unprecedented quarter-final appearance at the World Cup as Associate Members. Since then they have won three matches in Australia and New Zealand while nearly beating England as well.
Ireland had yet another hurdle to cross in order to qualify for the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 hosted in South Africa from April and May.
Following their loss against West Indies in their opening group match, Ireland needed a win against England or The Netherlands to advance into the Super Eights; unfortunately they fell just two wickets short against England with just four balls remaining and missed out on reaching semi-finals by two wickets!
Ireland did qualify for the next tournament by defeating The Netherlands in their final group game and nearly defeating England by four runs during a rain-affected 20 over match that only played 20 overs. They also qualified for the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy with victories over Japan and The Netherlands before placing second behind England as tournament runners-up.
Ireland’s success in this tournament attracted worldwide cricket attention and helped lead them into their inaugural Test match at The Village, Malahide against Afghanistan on April 12, 2024. Since then, Ireland have struggled to establish themselves as major contenders and were unable to qualify for subsequent ODI World Cups due to not fulfilling full membership ten required teams criteria; nonetheless they did win their inaugural ODI match against Oman in Sharjah in 2022 – winning through to reach this landmark event after High Performance Director Richard Holdsworth announced contracts allowing players to choose between club and national roles and thus boost Ireland’s standing within the game.
Formats
The Ireland national cricket team is a mixed nationality international side comprising players from both Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It has achieved Test status, becoming famous for their ability to cause upsets against more established sides during world cup matches.
Cricket Ireland governs both men’s and women’s national teams for Ireland. Both compete in International Cricket Council Twenty20 and ODI tournaments as well as qualifying tournaments like Intercontinental Cup that allows associate teams to enter Cricket World Cup and World Twenty20 events.
Ireland was granted full membership status by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in June 2017, and since then have competed in three Test matches – their debut win coming against fellow newcomers Afghanistan in 2024. Ireland previously participated as an Associate Member, participating in tournaments like World Cricket League and Intercontinental Cup as a way of getting to test status.
Irish teams have played 17 ODI matches to date, winning 11 and losing 6. Their best performance came in 2022 when they won two of five matches against West Indies, Bangladesh, and England but were eliminated during round two of competition.
Irish Cricket Team will also compete in the ICC T20I World Cup starting February 1, which features several young talents like Jai Moondra who was selected for his 50-over international debut and Byron McDonough who led Leinster Lightning to win Interprovincial T20 Cup earlier in 2019.
Ireland will participate in eighteen one-day internationals (ODIs), with their top four teams progressing to the Super 8 stage and then semi-finals and final.
This tournament provides Ireland an ideal opportunity to improve their performance at the upcoming 2026 Cricket World Cup that is taking place in Australia and New Zealand; currently their ODI rankings rank ninth overall with their best showing coming back in 2022.
Venues
Ireland national cricket team represents Ireland, which is located on the continent of Europe. Cricket Ireland serves as its governing body and manages their international squad; competing in Test matches, one-day internationals (ODIs), and Twenty20s tournaments respectively. Ireland was granted full ICC member status along with Afghanistan in June 2017.
Ireland have played 214 ODI matches so far, recording 83 victories, 112 defeats and 16 no results. Their debut ODI came during their successful qualifying run at 2007 ICC World Cup against Full Members; following that success a number of home series were scheduled with Ireland as an opportunity to showcase and develop their cricketing abilities further.
Though Ireland men’s team have only competed in a limited number of Test matches, they have achieved great success and appear poised for continued growth in 2027.
This year they will play a full schedule of matches including home and away fixtures against England, India, New Zealand and Pakistan as well as several high-profile fixtures like their multi-format tour to West Indies in early 2027 and visit to Pakistan later on that same year.
Early this month, ground was broken on a new stadium in Abbottstown, Dublin that will host games during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2029.
Constructed by National Sports Campus Abbotstown and operated by Cricket Ireland long-term. Set to open by March or April of 2029 tournament dates; funded through Sport Ireland/Department of Sport this major investment in Irish cricket marks an incredible boost to Irish sport in general and cricket specifically!
Players
Ireland national cricket team serves as an international representation of Ireland in world cricket, organized and run by the Irish Cricket Union (under Cricket Ireland brand name), headquartered in Dublin and offering four international cricket grounds: Malahide in County Dublin, Stormont in Belfast, Bready in north-western Ireland and Clontarf within Dublin city itself – along with another ground that will soon be built at Abbotstown National Sports Campus.
Established in 1992 and accepted as an associate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC), joining Division 1 of its Associate Member category without Test status – qualifying them to compete in Intercontinental Cup competitions that lead into qualifying rounds for World and Twenty20 World Cup tournaments.
Ireland achieved its highest ever rank as an associate nation in the ICC world rankings in 2011 and, later that year, were granted Full Membership by the ICC allowing them to play Test matches. Since then, Ireland has taken steps toward its goal of becoming one of the top-ten Test nations.
Ireland has already earned its way onto the Test cricket stage and now hopes to enhance it further by cultivating all aspects of its cricket culture and engaging more people at all levels – men and women alike – of playing the sport. Cricket Ireland has been working closely with provincial cricket unions across Ireland in order to develop an eco-friendly model of sustainable development of cricket across Ireland.
In recent years, Ireland’s cricket organization has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to investment in grassroots cricket and supporting Ireland’s talented young players through a number of central contracts awarded. Although these don’t pay regular salaries like salaries do, these contracts do provide match fees as well as travel and gym membership subsidies which serve as crucial steps towards building the game here in Ireland and preparing it for its future development.
Origins
Cricket has been played in Ireland since the 18th Century, although its popularity diminished as other Gaelic Games such as hurling and football became more widespread. Cricket was revived when an Irish Cricket Union was founded during World War One; however, it took until 1959 before their team beat one from a county side!
Success came in 2007, when Zimbabwe, Pakistan and Bangladesh all defeated them on their journey to an unprecedented quarter-final appearance at the World Cup as Associate Members. Since then they have won three matches in Australia and New Zealand while nearly beating England as well.
Ireland had yet another hurdle to cross in order to qualify for the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 hosted in South Africa from April and May. Following their loss against West Indies in their opening group match, Ireland needed a win against England or The Netherlands to advance into the Super Eights;
Unfortunately they fell just two wickets short against England with just four balls remaining and missed out on reaching semi-finals by two wickets!
Ireland did qualify for the next tournament by defeating The Netherlands in their final group game and nearly defeating England by four runs during a rain-affected 20 over match that only played 20 overs. They also qualified for the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy with victories over Japan and The Netherlands before placing second behind England as tournament runners-up.
Ireland’s success in this tournament attracted worldwide cricket attention and helped lead them into their inaugural Test match at The Village, Malahide against Afghanistan on April 12, 2024. Since then, Ireland have struggled to establish themselves as major contenders and were unable to qualify for subsequent ODI World Cups due to not fulfilling full membership ten required teams criteria; nonetheless they did win their inaugural ODI match against Oman in Sharjah in 2022 – winning through to reach this landmark event after High Performance Director Richard Holdsworth announced contracts allowing players to choose between club and national roles and thus boost Ireland’s standing within the game.
Formats
The Ireland national cricket team is a mixed nationality international side comprising players from both Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It has achieved Test status, becoming famous for their ability to cause upsets against more established sides during world cup matches.
Cricket Ireland governs both men’s and women’s national teams for Ireland. Both compete in International Cricket Council Twenty20 and ODI tournaments as well as qualifying tournaments like Intercontinental Cup that allows associate teams to enter Cricket World Cup and World Twenty20 events.
Ireland was granted full membership status by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in June 2017, and since then have competed in three Test matches – their debut win coming against fellow newcomers Afghanistan in 2024. Ireland previously participated as an Associate Member, participating in tournaments like World Cricket League and Intercontinental Cup as a way of getting to test status.
Irish teams have played 17 ODI matches to date, winning 11 and losing 6. Their best performance came in 2022 when they won two of five matches against West Indies, Bangladesh, and England but were eliminated during round two of competition.
Irish Cricket Team will also compete in the ICC T20I World Cup starting February 1, which features several young talents like Jai Moondra who was selected for his 50-over international debut and Byron McDonough who led Leinster Lightning to win Interprovincial T20 Cup earlier in 2019.
Ireland will participate in eighteen one-day internationals (ODIs), with their top four teams progressing to the Super 8 stage and then semi-finals and final.
This tournament provides Ireland an ideal opportunity to improve their performance at the upcoming 2026 Cricket World Cup that is taking place in Australia and New Zealand; currently their ODI rankings rank ninth overall with their best showing coming back in 2022.
Venues
Ireland national cricket team represents Ireland, which is located on the continent of Europe. Cricket Ireland serves as its governing body and manages their international squad; competing in Test matches, one-day internationals (ODIs), and Twenty20s tournaments respectively. Ireland was granted full ICC member status along with Afghanistan in June 2017.
Ireland have played 214 ODI matches so far, recording 83 victories, 112 defeats and 16 no results. Their debut ODI came during their successful qualifying run at 2007 ICC World Cup against Full Members; following that success a number of home series were scheduled with Ireland as an opportunity to showcase and develop their cricketing abilities further.
Though Ireland men’s team have only competed in a limited number of Test matches, they have achieved great success and appear poised for continued growth in 2027. This year they will play a full schedule of matches including home and away fixtures against England, India, New Zealand and Pakistan as well as several high-profile fixtures like their multi-format tour to West Indies in early 2027 and visit to Pakistan later on that same year.
Early this month, ground was broken on a new stadium in Abbottstown, Dublin that will host games during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2029. Constructed by National Sports Campus Abbotstown and operated by Cricket Ireland long-term. Set to open by March or April of 2029 tournament dates; funded through Sport Ireland/Department of Sport this major investment in Irish cricket marks an incredible boost to Irish sport in general and cricket specifically!
Players
Ireland national cricket team serves as an international representation of Ireland in world cricket, organized and run by the Irish Cricket Union (under Cricket Ireland brand name), headquartered in Dublin and offering four international cricket grounds: Malahide in County Dublin, Stormont in Belfast, Bready in north-western Ireland and Clontarf within Dublin city itself – along with another ground that will soon be built at Abbotstown National Sports Campus.
Established in 1992 and accepted as an associate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC), joining Division 1 of its Associate Member category without Test status – qualifying them to compete in Intercontinental Cup competitions that lead into qualifying rounds for World and Twenty20 World Cup tournaments.
Ireland achieved its highest ever rank as an associate nation in the ICC world rankings in 2011 and, later that year, were granted Full Membership by the ICC allowing them to play Test matches. Since then, Ireland has taken steps toward its goal of becoming one of the top-ten Test nations.
Ireland has already earned its way onto the Test cricket stage and now hopes to enhance it further by cultivating all aspects of its cricket culture and engaging more people at all levels – men and women alike – of playing the sport. Cricket Ireland has been working closely with provincial cricket unions across Ireland in order to develop an eco-friendly model of sustainable development of cricket across Ireland.
In recent years, Ireland’s cricket organization has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to investing in grassroots cricket and supporting Ireland’s talented young players through a number of central contracts. The Ireland National Cricket Team continues to benefit from these development initiatives, which help provide emerging players with valuable opportunities to progress at the international level.
Although these contracts do not provide regular salaries, they offer match fees along with travel and gym membership subsidies. These measures represent crucial steps toward strengthening cricket in Ireland, developing future talent, and preparing the Ireland National Cricket Team for continued growth and success.
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