Cricket Ireland The center has released its contract list for the 2026-27 season, awarding deals to a total of 48 players across the senior men’s and women’s teams. The announcement includes 25 players in the men’s squad and 23 players in the women’s squad, providing vital financial stability and support as Ireland prepare for a busy international calendar.
The contracts cover 2026-27 and are designed to help the players remain fully focused on representing Ireland on the global stage.
Highlights of the 2026-27 central contract structure
Cricket Ireland has maintained a flexible approach with different types of contracts tailored to players’ needs:
Men’s Contracts (Total 25 Players)
- 20 full-time contracts
- 5 storage agreement
Women’s Contracts (Total 23 Players)
- 8 full-time contracts
- 10 training contracts (six of which will be full-time within the year)
- 5 random contracts
This structure allows several women players to balance their cricketing commitments with studies and jobs, while also being available for major matches, especially the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup.
Complete list of centrally contracted players
Ireland Men (25 players): 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 LittleTom Mayes, Andy McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Liam McCarthy, Jordan Neil, Paul Stirling (ODI captain), Harry Tector, Tim Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White, Ruben Wilson, Craig Young.
Ireland Women (23 players): 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 Laughran, Jane Maguira, Jane Maguira McCartney, Ellie McGee, Cara Murray, Leah Paul, Orla Prendergast, Rebecca Stokell, Alice Tector.
Seven new male entrants: Ben, Jordan, Tom, Tim and Cade have earned their place in the 2025 senior internationals. Reuben and Hollard were honored for their outstanding domestic performances and Wilson also played a role in his selection during the Under-19 World Cup cycle.
Five men were not detained: Cricket Ireland has confirmed that five players from the previous cycle have not been offered contracts for 2026-27. The names have not been officially released, but the board acknowledged the difficulty of these decisions given the personal sacrifices each player has made.
Sophie MacMahon retired: The experienced player of the women’s team has completely retired from the game and ended her contract career.
Freya Sargent walks away: Sargent has removed herself from the women’s contract list, giving up international cricket.
No new female applicants: Unlike the men, the women’s team does not see any new additions to the contracted group this season. Instead, the focus is on consolidating the existing pool ahead of the T20 World Cup.
T20 World Cup Commitment: The decision by Ava Canning, Christina Coulter Reilly, Amy Hunter and Rebecca Stokell to postpone their studies and jobs to accommodate a full summer schedule is perhaps the most significant individual story of this contract period. This reflects a group that is fully committed to the T20 World Cup count.
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