Big year looms on and off pitch for Irish cricket

1 hour ago 1

When it comes to a New Year's resolution for 2026, Cricket Ireland will not have had to think long or hard.

After a 2025 that led white-ball captain Paul Stirling to describe his side as "underprepared" for the marquee series of their home summer, the primary ambition for the 12 months ahead will simply be to play more cricket.

While there has yet been no confirmation of the expected return of Test cricket to Stormont with New Zealand as opponents, nor of a mooted white-ball series against India in Dublin, the T20 World Cup on the horizon has already ensured the early months of 2026 will be considerably busier than the year just gone.

With Ireland's women's team attempting to qualify for their own global showpiece this summer, and a new chief executive officer for the first time in almost two decades, a huge year is in store on and off the pitch.

World Cup ensures meaningful cricket in year's early months

While Ireland finished 2025 appearing to run out of steam in Bangladesh, the year will be best remembered as one when the men's side were too lightly ran.

The side played just three Test matches, beating Zimbabwe in February while losing twice to Bangladesh in November, with all three played away from home.

Furthermore, any attempt to build momentum for the 2026 T20 World Cup was hampered by just seven of 12 scheduled T20 internationals producing a result.

Three of that number, two against West Indies and one against England, were abandoned without a ball bowled.

Assessing form from such a small sample size - especially given the apparent standing of interprovincial fixtures - has proven a challenge for Heinrich Malan's side, an issue only exacerbated by bowling injuries when England visited Malahide in September.

Five World Cup warm-up games in Dubai in the space of eight days will see Ireland take on Italy three times and UAE twice at the end of January. There it will be hoped the likes of Mark Adair and Josh Little get back in the groove to bolster the seam attack for the tournament that Ireland begin by facing hosts Sri Lanka on 8 February.

Can Tim Tector continue to press his claim to join Stirling as an opener? What of the case of Ben Calitz to solidify his spot in the middle order? Where does Ross Adair fit in when he returns from injury? There is a sense that, after such little cricket in 2025, Ireland are playing catch-up somewhat when it comes to deciding upon their best team.

With the exception of 2022, this has never been Ireland's favourite tournament while, when placed in a group with Australia, Zimbabwe and Oman as well as hosts Sri Lanka, reaching the super eights would be viewed as a strong showing this time around.

Including those warm-ups, that there will be at least nine games in the space of 25 days offers the opportunity to build some much needed momentum with bat, ball and within the news cycle, but there will be disappointment regarding the lack of clarity over what will follow.

It has already been stressed that Ireland's home summer will contain more cricket this year, though time is running out to confirm dates, venues and opponents in time to take advantage of the increased visibility during the World Cup.

Tennant's side out to show Ireland belong on world stage

Before Malan's team head for Sri Lanka, Ireland's women's team will already have faced their own set of crunch fixtures.

In Nepal in January, Lloyd Tennant's squad will be one of nine sides vying for four spots at next summer's T20 World Cup in England.

Ireland will travel after seeing their impressive run of 16 wins from 18 games in the format ended emphatically by a 3-0 series defeat by South Africa in December.

Still, even in that whitewash against the Proteas, Ireland's batters showed enough to suggest they belong on the world stage, with the triumvirate of Amy Hunter, skipper Gaby Lewis and Orla Prendergast again offering real quality at the top of the order.

There is not the same depth of talent in the bowling attack, although the recent return of Aimee Maguire considerably strengthens the unit.

In a group with Papua New Guinea, USA, Bangladesh and Namibia, Ireland will expect to show that they are worth their place at the biggest ever version of the tournament.

Having not qualified in 2024, and with organisers stating their belief that women's cricket is "breaking firmly into the mainstream", to miss out again would represent a considerable missed opportunity.

New CEO Keane to start with plenty on her to-do list

If what it is hoped will be a pair of World Cups offer plenty of intrigue on the pitch, there will be huge interest in Irish cricket off the field in 2026 too.

After an eventful 19-year reign in charge of the organisation, Warren Deutrom stepped aside last year and his successor Sarah Keane will officially take over the role on 1 March after finishing up with Swim Ireland.

With Deutrom's time in the hot-seat including breakthrough appearances at ODI World Cups in 2007 and 2011, and the awarding of full-member status in 2017, Keane's tenure may struggle for similar milestone moments.

However, there is the seemingly imperative opening of a permanent stadium in Blanchardstown expected in 2028 and the hope that both Dublin and Belfast will be in a position to host matches at the 2030 World Cup.

Negotiating the next broadcast deal is a considerable responsibility too, while the establishment of the European T20 League remains on the agenda after 2025's postponement.

In short, as last year's dearth of action shows, the big picture for 2026 will involve taking the necessary steps to ensure that the hosting of international cricket in Ireland remains a viable enterprise financially.

Read Entire Article