Cricket Ireland Reveals Central Contracts for 2026-27 Season
Overview of Central Contracts
Cricket Ireland has unveiled its list of central contracts for the upcoming 2026-27 season, securing deals for a total of 48 players as the cricketing calendar gears up for an exciting year.
Breakdown of Contracts
The contract list features 25 male players and 23 female players. Among the men's contracts, 20 are full-time, while five are retainer agreements. For the women's team, eight players have full-time contracts, with 10 on educational contracts and five on casual agreements. Notably, six players currently on educational contracts are expected to transition to full-time status during the year, as reported by the ICC.
New Players and Departures
In the men's category, seven players have received their first central contracts, with five having made their senior international debuts in 2025. These players include Ben Calitz, Jordan Neill, Tom Mayes, Tim Tector, and Cade Carmichael. Additionally, domestic talents Reuben Wilson and Matthew Hollard have also secured their first contracts, with Wilson being recognized for his performance at the ICC Under-19 Men's Cricket World Cup 2026. On the women's side, there are no new additions; however, Sophie MacMahon has retired, and Freya Sargent has stepped back from international play, resulting in their removal from the centrally contracted list.
Importance of Central Contracts
Graeme West, the Director of High Performance at Cricket Ireland, emphasized the significance of these central contracts in fostering the growth of Irish cricket. He stated, "The central contracts are essential for the development of our senior squads, ensuring that players are available and prepared to represent Ireland on the global stage over the next year. This is particularly important as the men's team will compete in all three formats this summer, while the women's team will participate in both white-ball formats, including a T20 World Cup."
Complete Contract Lists for 2026-27
Men's Squad
Mark Adair, Ross Adair, Andrew Balbirnie - Test captain, Ben Calitz, Curtis Campher, Cade Carmichael, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Stephen Doheny, Gavin Hoey, Matthew Hollard, Matthew Humphreys, Joshua Little, Tom Mayes, Andy McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Liam McCarthy, Jordan Neil, Paul Stirling - ODI captain, Harry Tector, Tim Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White, Reuben Wilson, and Craig Young.
Women's Squad
Ava Canning, Christina Coulter Reilly, Alana Dalzell, Georgina Dempsey, Laura Delany, Sarah Forbes, Abbi Harrison, Amy Hunter, Jennifer Jackson, Arlene Kelly, Gaby Lewis - ODI and T20I captain, Louise Little, Joanna Loughran, Aimee Maguire, Jane Maguire, Lara McBride, Kia McCartney, Ellie McGee, Cara Murray, Leah Paul, Orla Prendergast, Rebecca Stokell, Alice Tector.