 | |||||||||||||
| Association | Cricket Ireland | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personnel | |||||||||||||
| Test captain | Andrew Balbirnie | ||||||||||||
| One Day captain | Paul Stirling | ||||||||||||
| T20I captain | Paul Stirling | ||||||||||||
| Coach | Heinrich Malan | ||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||
| Test status acquired | 2017 | ||||||||||||
| International Cricket Council | |||||||||||||
| ICC status | Associate Member (1993) Full Member (2017) | ||||||||||||
| ICC region | Europe | ||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
| Tests | |||||||||||||
| First Test | v. Pakistan atThe Village,Malahide; 11–15 May 2018 | ||||||||||||
| Last Test | v. Bangladesh atSher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium,Dhaka; 19–23 November 2025 | ||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
| One Day Internationals | |||||||||||||
| First ODI | v. England atStormont,Belfast; 13 June 2006 | ||||||||||||
| Last ODI | v. West Indies atCastle Avenue,Clontarf; 25 May 2025 | ||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
| World Cup appearances | 3 (first in2007) | ||||||||||||
| Best result | Super 8 (2007) | ||||||||||||
| World Cup Qualifier appearances | 7 (first in1994) | ||||||||||||
| Best result | Champions (2009) | ||||||||||||
| T20 Internationals | |||||||||||||
| First T20I | v. Scotland atStormont,Belfast; 2 August 2008 | ||||||||||||
| Last T20I | v. England atThe Village,Dublin; 21 September 2025 | ||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
| T20 World Cup appearances | 8 (first in2009) | ||||||||||||
| Best result | Super 8 (2009) | ||||||||||||
| T20 World Cup Qualifier appearances | 5[a] (first in2008) | ||||||||||||
| Best result | Champions (2008,2012,2013) | ||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
| As of 23 November 2025 | |||||||||||||
TheIreland men's cricket team representsAll-Ireland in international cricket. The Irish Cricket Union, operating under the brandCricket Ireland, is the sport's governing body in Ireland, and they organise the international team. The team have a number of home grounds, includingMalahide in County Dublin,Stormont, Belfast,Bready in the north-west andClontarf in Dublin city. A further ground is planned for theNational Sports Campus in Abbotstown, Dublin for 2030.[10] Due to the short season allowed by the Irish climate, and lack of large scale facilities, Ireland also occasionally play 'home matches' in venues in England and further abroad.
Ireland's men participate in all three major forms of the international game,Test,One-Day International (ODI) andTwenty20 International (T20I) matches. They are the 11thFull Member of theInternational Cricket Council (ICC), and the second Full Member from Europe, having been awardedTest status, along withAfghanistan, on 22 June 2017.[11][12][13][14] Ireland and Afghanistan are the most recently appointed Test-playing nations.
Modern Cricket was introduced to Ireland in the 19th century, though cricket may have partly evolved from earlier Gaelic games invented in Ireland.[15][16][17][18] The first match played by an Ireland team was in 1855. Ireland toured Canada and the United States in the late 19th century, and occasionally hosted matches against touring sides. Ireland's most significant early international rivalry, with theScotland national cricket team, was established when the teams first played each other in 1888.[19] Ireland's maidenfirst-class match was played in 1902.
Ireland were elected to Associate membership of the ICC in 1993, but played their first full ODI in 2006 againstEngland in the build-up to the2007 ICC Cricket World Cup, their first successful qualification. At that tournament, a series of eye-catching results against Full Members, including a draw against Zimbabwe, and wins against Pakistan and Bangladesh confirmed Ireland's ODI status after the competition. Since then, they have gone on to play 197 ODIs, resulting in 78 victories, 101 defeats, 15no results, and 3ties.[20] Contracts for players were introduced in 2009, marking the transition to becoming a professional team.
Further success in the shortest format meant the Ireland team also qualified for the 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2021, 2022,[21][22] and 2024[b]World Twenty20 competitions, and have qualified for the future2026 T20 World Cup byICC men's T20 world rankings.
Before attaining Test status, Ireland also played first-class international cricket in theICC Intercontinental Cup, which they have won four times between 2005 and 2013. Due to their successes in the first-classICC Intercontinental Cup competition, and further high-profile wins at the World Cups of2011 (against England) and2015 (against West Indies and Zimbabwe), they were labelled the "leading Associate"[23] and stated their intention to become a full member by 2020. This intention was realised in June 2017, when the ICC unanimously decided to award Ireland and Afghanistan Full Member status, which allows them to participate in Test matches.[24] Ireland's first test was a home fixture at The Village, Malahide between 11–15 May 2018 againstPakistan, and they have played tests somewhat sporadically since. Their first test victory was against fellow new boysAfghanistan in Sharjah on 12 March 2024.
Ireland remain the only test playing nation, where thewomen's team have played a test match before the men's team.[25] Ireland was a women's test nation seventeen years before the men, playing their only test also against Pakistan.
The first mention of modern cricket in Ireland was in 1731 when the Military of Ireland and the Gentlemen of Ireland took each other on in thePhoenix Park, where the game still thrives in one of the world's oldest established cricket clubs. However, the origins of Cricket may, in fact, have come from Ireland, via the ancient Gaelic game of 'Katty', a precursor to the modern game ofRounders in Ireland. Katty was exported around the world by Irishmen serving in the British Army and the game was adopted as both a training and recreational activity by British Army soldiers. The evolution of Katty in the empire is reflected in the use of anglicised Gaelic terms such as crioc, crios, bail, googly, still used in cricket as we know it today.[15][16][17][18]
Modern Cricket was introduced to Ireland by the English in the towns ofKilkenny andBallinasloe in the early 19th century. In the 1830s, the game began to spread; many of the clubs which were founded in the following 30 years are still in existence today.[26] The first Irish national team played in 1855 against The Gentlemen of England in Dublin. In the 1850s, the EnglishmanCharles Lawrence was responsible for developing the game in Ireland through his coaching.[26] In the 1850s and 1860s, Ireland was visited for the first time by touring professional teams. Ireland's first match againstMarylebone Cricket Club (the M.C.C.) was in 1858.[26][16]
Cricket had flourished throughout the Ireland until the early 1880s. However, the IrishLand War, theGaelic Revival cultural movement and its offshoot theGaelic Athletic Association, founded in 1884, began to challenge the popularity of cricket.[27] There were widespread calls to establish a national cricketing union in Ireland the 1870s to oversee the sport but landlords who owned the estates on which cricket was predominantly played declined to do so, many believing the game would distract their tenant farmers from working and thus impact the estates' income at a time when theland war was already depleting landlords wealth. One of those to call for a formal body to organise cricket wasMichael Cusack, later the founder of the GAA. Cusack, was a keen cricketer, later tried to organise cricket under the umbrella of the newly formed Gaelic Athletic Association. His motion, however, lost out narrowly. Consequently, in 1902 cricket fell under the GAA's newly introduced Law 27 banning its members from playing "foreign", in practice, British, games. Until the ban was lifted in 1970, anyone playing foreign games, such as cricket orassociation football, was banned from the membership of the GAA, the organisation responsible for games such ashurling,Gaelic football,rounders, andGaelic handball.[28]
Thereafter Cricket in Ireland declined in popularity, especially in the era after theland war as the sport became associated with being a "garrison game" of the British Army. Participation became increasingly restricted to Catholic and Protestant public schools, the Anglo-Irish population, and unionists. Irish teams toured Canada and the US in 1879, 1888, 1892, and 1909. On top of this, Ireland defeated a touring South African side in 1904.[26] Their first match withfirst-class status was played on 19 May 1902 against a London County side includingW.G. Grace. The Irish, captained bySir Tim O'Brien, won convincingly by238 runs.[29] An Irish Cricket union was eventually set up in 1923 but some clubs refused to recognise its legitimacy. It was only in 2001 that Cricket Ireland became the official oversight body for cricket in Ireland recognised by all cricket clubs on the island.[15][16][17][18]
After the 1902 tour of England, where four matches yielded one win, two draws and one loss, Ireland did not play first-class cricket again for five years.[30] Although the team had lost to the South Africans in 1894 – Ireland's first match against a Test-playing nation – Ireland defeated South Africa in 1904; it was the team's first victory against a Test side.[31] In 1909, the first annual first-class match between Ireland andScotland was held, and an annual match against theMCC was arranged from 1924 onwards.[26]
The Irish played yearly first-class matches with the Scots, only interrupted by world wars, until 1999, but all their other cricket depended upon touring international sides finding it convenient to include a visit to Ireland in their schedules. However, Ireland sometimes surprisedTest nations on these occasions, beating theWest Indies by 60 runs in a three-day match inDublin in 1928, for example; it was Ireland's first match against the West Indies.[31] In 1969, in a match played atSion Mills inCounty Tyrone, the team defeated a West Indian side includingClive Lloyd andClyde Walcott by nine wickets, after bowling them out for 25.[32] This was the last time Ireland defeated a touring side until 2003, when they beatZimbabwe by ten wickets.[33]
The Scots and the Irish were mostly competing withSri Lanka for the title as the best non-Test nation at the time – indeed, Ireland drew with Sri Lanka in a rain-hit first-class match in 1979, Ireland scoring a total of 341 for 7 in two innings, while Sri Lanka made 288 for 6 in one innings. Ireland, along with Scotland and the Netherlands, has at times played in competitions forEnglish county cricket sides, including theBenson & Hedges Cup and theFriends Provident Trophy (previously theC&G Trophy). Since there is no nationality restriction in county cricket, non-Irish people were allowed to compete for Ireland in these matches. For example,Hansie Cronje of South Africa played for Ireland in 1997,[34] as did New ZealanderJesse Ryder in 2007.[35]
Ireland joined the ICC as anAssociate Member in 1993, a year before Scotland.[36] This meant Ireland could play in theICC Trophy for the first time in 1994, and they finished seventh in the tournament.[37] Three years later they progressed to the semi-finals of the competition but lost the third place play-off with Scotland, thus missing a place at the1999 cricket World Cup. Ireland finished eighth in the 2001 tournament.[38] After this,Adrian Birrell was hired as coach.[17]
.jpg)
With the introduction of theICC Intercontinental Cup in 2004,[39] Ireland had a chance to play first-class on a regular basis. After failing to progress beyond the group stages in the 2004competition,[40] Ireland won their first Cup title inOctober 2005 with a six-wicket win over Kenya.[41] The2005 ICC Trophy, which was hosted in Ireland – the group stages inBelfast, Northern Ireland, the final stages inDublin,Republic of Ireland – saw the Irish make the final, which they lost to Scotland.[42] Though Ireland were runners-up, they had secured their place at the 2007 World Cup as well as an extra $500,000 over the next four years from the ICC to encourage development of Irish cricket.[43] They also gained official ODI status.[43]
Ireland's inaugural ODI was played in front of a full house of 7,500 spectators atStormont,Belfast, on 13 June 2006 against England. It was the first time Ireland had played the full England side. Though Ireland lost by 38 runs, they were praised byAndrew Strauss, England's stand-in captain.[44][45]
13 June 2006 [46] |
v |  Ireland263/9 (50 overs) | |
England won by 38 runs Stormont,Belfast Umpires:Roger Dill (BER) andDB Hair (AUS) Player of the match:Marcus Trescothick (Eng) |
August saw them participate in Division One of the European Championship, against Denmark,Italy, the Netherlands and Scotland. The games against the Netherlands and Scotland had ODI status. In the tournament, and what was the team's second ODI, Ireland recorded their first ODI win, beating fellow Associates Scotland by 85 runs after man-of-the-match Eoin Morgan made 99.[47] Although the match against the Netherlands was a no-result, Ireland won the European Championship title.[48] Ireland's second Intercontinental Cup title came in the2006–2007 competition. They faced Canada in the final and won by an innings and 115 runs, the four-day match concluding within two days. This made Ireland the first team to successfully defend the Continental Cup.[49]
For the 2006 season, the C&G Trophy was reorganised to include a round-robin stage instead of being entirely knock-out. Whereas Ireland had only one match guaranteed in the tournament before, they now had more fixtures against English county sides. Ireland recorded one win in their nine matches.[50] Ireland participated in the competition until it was restructured again in 2009. In that time they played 25 matches and won two.[51][52] The latter of those victories was againstWorcestershire; in that match Ireland bowled Worcestershire out for 58, which was their lowest ever one-day total. It was the first time that Ireland had bowled out a county for less than 100.[53][54] Ireland were invited to participate in the reformatted competition from 2010 onwards, but chose not to do so, and instead focused their limited financial resources on international cricket.[55]
At the start of 2007, Ireland saw more than three months of almost constant cricket. First was a visit to Kenya, where they took part inDivision One of theICC World Cricket League. They finished fifth in the league after four narrow defeats, and Kenya won the league.[56] Before the World Cup, the team participated in a high-performance camp in South Africa.[57] Ireland's performance in their inaugural World Cup in the2007 Cricket World Cup took many pundits by surprise. In their first game, on 15 March, they tied withZimbabwe, primarily thanks to Ireland's first ever World Cup century by man-of-the-matchJeremy Bray and economical bowling in the final overs by Trent Johnston and Andre Botha.[58] In their second match, played onSaint Patrick's Day, they beat the fourth-ranked team in the world,Pakistan, by three wickets, thus knocking Pakistan out of the competition.[59]
17 March 2007 [60] |
v | ||
Ireland won by 3 wickets (D/L method) Sabina Park,Kingston, Jamaica Umpires:Billy Bowden (NZ) andBrian Jerling (SA) Player of the match:Niall O'Brien (Ire) |
These two results were enough to advance Ireland to the Super-8 stage of the tournament. In their final group-stage game, the West Indies beat them by eight wickets.[61] In the Super 8 stage, they lost their matches against England, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and Sri Lanka, but recorded a 74-run victory against Test-playing nationBangladesh, the 9th-ranked team in the world. The team received a heroes' welcome in Dublin.[62]
After the World Cup, former West Indies cricketerPhil Simmons took over the role of coach from Birrell.[63]India were scheduled to playSouth Africa in a series of One Day Internationals in Ireland in June 2007. Ireland also played one-off matches at Stormont against the two teams. Missing several players from their World Cup squad, Ireland lost both games.[64] Ireland hosted aquadrangular tournament in Dublin and Belfast in July involving the West Indies, the Netherlands, and Scotland. Ireland and the West Indies both won their games against Scotland and the Netherlands with their direct encounter ending inno result due to rain. The West Indies won the tournament because of a bonus point won against the Netherlands.[65] Trent Johnston stepped down as captain and was replaced byWilliam Porterfield in March 2008.[66]
The2007–08 ICC Intercontinental Cup began in June, with Ireland playing their first match in August. In November 2008, the team's campaign ended. After finishing second in the round-robin stage of the competition, Ireland facedNamibia in the final. Ireland won by nine wickets, securing their third consecutive Intercontinental Cup title.[67] In March 2008 Ireland toured Bangladesh, playing three ODIs against the hosts and losing all of them.[68] In July, Ireland played atri-series against New Zealand and Scotland inAberdeen but lost both matches.[69]
Reigning champions Ireland hosted theEuropean Cricket Championship (Division One) in late July and they won their third European title, winning every match, including the decisive encounter against Scotland by seven wickets.[70] In early August, Ireland hosted five other Associate nations at the2009 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier in Belfast; this was Ireland'sTwenty20 International debut. Ireland would have faced the Netherlands in the final, however the match was rained off and the teams shared the trophy.[71] By getting to the final of the tournament, Ireland qualified for the2009 ICC World Twenty20 in England in June 2009. Later in August, Ireland were due to play three ODIs at home against Kenya. Ireland won the first game, the second game could not be finished due to rain and the last match was completely washed out.[72] In October, the team visited Kenya for atri-series of ODIs with the hosts and Zimbabwe. Only two of Ireland's four games in the round-robin stage could be played, the others were rained off. Ireland lost their first match to Zimbabwe,[73] but won their second against Kenya, though they failed to qualify for the final.[74][75]
In the run-up to the 2009 ICC World Twenty20, Ireland were deprived of batsmanEoin Morgan, similarly toEd Joyce several years earlier, who was selected to play for England, making him ineligible to play for Ireland again.[76] Ireland played their first Twenty20 International against a full ICC member side on 8 June 2009 and in their opening match of the tournament defeated Bangladesh by four wickets and knocked them out of the tournament.[77][78] Ireland progressed to the second stage of the competition. They were grouped withNew Zealand,Pakistan andSri Lanka and lost all three of their matches. In 2009, Ireland played nine ODIs, winning the seven they played against Associate nations, losing their only match against a Test team (England), and one match was abandoned.[79]
Ireland played 17 One Day Internationals in 2010, winning 11 (including a victory over Bangladesh) and losing six.[80] Ireland were knocked out of the2010 ICC World Twenty20, hosted by South Africa in April and May, after being beaten by theWest Indies and a washed out match against England.
.jpg)
The2011 Cricket World Cup was held between February and March and hosted by Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka. Though Ireland did not progress beyond the first round they secured a historic victory against England.[81] Ireland beat England by 3 wickets withKevin O'Brien hitting the fastest century in World Cup history, managing the feat in just 50 balls.[82] In passing England's total of 327 for victory, Ireland broke the record for the highest successful run chase in the World Cup.[83]
2 March 2011 [84] |
v | ||
Ireland won by 3 wickets M Chinnaswamy Stadium,Bangalore Umpires:Aleem Dar (Pak) andBilly Bowden (NZ) Player of the match:Kevin O'Brien (Ire) |
Shortly after the tournament ended, the ICC announced that the World Cups in 2015 and 2019 would contain ten teams; the Associate countries, who were most likely to miss out in a tournament with fewer teams strongly objected, and, led by Ireland, urged the ICC to reconsider. In June the decision was reversed.[85][86] After the World Cup Ireland played Pakistan, England, and Scotland in ODIs but lost each match.[81] A further ODI against Sri Lanka was rained off. In all, Ireland played 12 ODIs in 2011, winning four.[87]
Ireland qualified for the2015 Cricket World Cup, and were promoted to the ICC ODI Championship, leaving the World Cricket League, but not the ICC Intercontinental Cup. In their first match of the World Cup, Ireland defeated the West Indies by 4 wickets, chasing down 304 runs with 25 balls to spare.[88]
16 February 2015 [89] |
v | ||
Ireland won by 4 wickets Saxton Oval,Nelson Umpires:Richard Illingworth (Eng) andBruce Oxenford (Aus) Player of the match:Paul Stirling (Ire) |
In their second match they beat the United Arab Emirates by two wickets with four balls to spare; the target was 279. Out of only five successful World Cup chases of 300 runs or more, Ireland have provided three.[90][91]
In July 2016, Ireland played in its firstfive-match ODI series against Afghanistan which ended 2–2 with the first ODI being washed out. In September, Ireland toured South Africa fora one match ODI series against Australia and the hosts but lost both games. At theICC's board meeting in October, Ireland was awardedfirst-class status for its domestic competition, the Inter-Provincial Championship.
In May 2017, Ireland travelled to England to play atwo-match ODI series for the first time, though they ended up losing both games.
In January 2012 Cricket Ireland chief executive Warren Deutrom publicly declared Ireland's ambition to playTest cricket by 2020. Their desire to achieve Test status was in part to stem the tide of Irish players using residency rules to switch to England for the opportunity to play Test cricket. Deutrom outlined the ambition as he unveiled the new strategic plan for Irish cricket to 2015. The plan set out a series of stretching goals including increasing the number of participants in the game to 50,000, setting a target of reaching 8th in the World rankings, establishing a domestic first-class cricket structure, and reinforcing cricket as the fifth most popular team sport in Ireland.[92][93]
Deutrom had already sent a letter to the ICC in 2009 stating his board's intention to apply for Full Membership – a potential pathway to Test cricket – and to seek clarification on the process.[94] Former Australian bowlerJason Gillespie said that if Ireland got Test status it "would be huge news in world cricket, and it would be a massive positive story for the world game".[95] Following Ireland's victory over the West Indies in the2015 Cricket World Cup, former fast bowlerMichael Holding said that theInternational Cricket Council should grant Ireland Test status immediately, saying "they need to be recognised now".[96] The ICC said in 2015 that Ireland would be granted Test status in 2019 should they win the2015–17 ICC Intercontinental Cup and beat the 10th ranked Test nation in a four-match Test series in 2018.[97]
However, on 22 June 2017, after more than a decade of playing top-class international cricket, full ICC membership was granted to Ireland (along with Afghanistan) at an ICC meeting in London, thus making them the eleventh Test cricket team.[98] In October 2017, the ICC announced that Ireland's first Test match would be at homeagainst Pakistan in May 2018.[99][100] Ireland played their first 'touring' Test in India in March 2019 against fellow newcomersAfghanistan, where they lost by 7 wickets. This was followed by a four-day Test match against England atLord'sin July 2019.[101] According to theICC Future Tours Programme for 2019–23, Ireland are scheduled to play sixteen Tests, but along with Afghanistan and Zimbabwe, are not included in the first two editions of theICC World Test Championship.[102]
v | ||
Pakistan won by 5 wickets The Village,Malahide Umpires:Richard Illingworth (Eng) andNigel Llong (Eng) Player of the match:Kevin O'Brien (Ire) |
Ireland played England in a four-day Test match at Lord's in July 2019. Even though they bowled England out for 85 before lunch on the first day, they were themselves all out for 38 in the final innings, losing the match by 143 runs.[103]
In October 2019,Andrew Balbirnie was appointed Test and ODI captain and one month later, in November he also took over the captaincy of T20I fromGary Wilson, thus becoming all format captain for Ireland.[104]
On 16 January 2022, Ireland claimed their first away ODI series win over a fellow Test nation by beating theWest Indies by two wickets atSabina Park inJamaica.[105] On 31 March 2023, Ireland claimed their first win against Bangladesh on Bangladeshi soil in the third match of their T20 three match series.[106] Ireland achieved their first-ever series win in Zimbabwe, after winning a three-match series 2–1 in December 2023.[107] The following week they followed up their T20 success with a 2–0 one-day international series victory, which was their first ODI series win in Zimbabwe.[108]
Ireland won their first Test on 1 March 2024 (after losing their first seven), defeating Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi by six wickets.[109]
v | ||
Ireland won by 6 wickets Tolerance Oval,Abu Dhabi Umpires:Adrian Holdstock (SAF) andRichard Kettleborough (ENG) Player of the match:Mark Adair (IRE) |
A couple months after their first Test victory, Ireland secured their first T20 victory over Pakistan in two attempts, winning by five wickets with one ball remaining.[111] In July 2024 Ireland beat Zimbabwe by four wickets atStormont and recorded a second consecutive Test victory and a first on home soil.[112] In September 2024Ross Adair's maiden century powered Ireland to their first T20 win over South Africa to share the series 1–1.[113] Ireland followed this up with a 69-run victory over South Africa in the final match of their ODI series, their second ever victory over South Africa in the ODI format.[114]In May 2025 Ireland beat the West Indies by 124 runs in the first ODI in Dublin marking, its biggest win by runs against a Full Member and their fourth-biggest victory overall.[115]
| Ground | Location | Provincial team | Capacity | First Used | Test | ODI | T20I |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clontarf Cricket Club Ground (Castle Avenue) | Dublin | Leinster Lightning | 3,200 | 1999 | — | 25[116] | 1[117] |
| Civil Service Cricket Club Ground (Stormont) | Belfast | Northern Knights | 7,000 | 2006 | 1 | 31[118] | 17[119] |
| Malahide Cricket Club Ground (The Village) | Malahide | Leinster Lightning | 11,500 | 2013 | 1[120] | 16[121] | 13[122] |
| Bready Cricket Club Ground | Magheramason | North West Warriors | 3,000 | 2015 | — | 1[123] | 9[124] |
TheIrish Cricket Union (ICU) – the governing body of Irish cricket – was officially founded in 1923, although its predecessor had been active since 1890.[26]
In common with a number of other Ireland sporting governing bodies, the Union was formed to represent cricket throughout the island of Ireland, rather than just theRepublic of Ireland. In common with its counterparts forrugby union,rugby league andfield hockey, the Union therefore does not use theIrish tricolor, but instead employs its own flag, which is used by such bodies as theInternational Cricket Council to represent the team and in ICC tournaments; "Ireland's Call" is used as the national anthem.[125][126]
After the World Cup, Irish cricket had poor results in the 2007 Friends Provident Trophy, as many players were unavailable. The Irish cricket team was an amateur side and most of the players had full-time jobs with commitments conflicting with cricket.[57]
Warren Deutrom, the chief executive of the ICU, has stated that it wants to "seek actively to place Irish players into top-level cricket, by developing relationships with [especially] county cricket which will incorporate appropriate player release for Irish international duty, and feeder systems for developing Irish cricketers".[127] The reorganised ICU sought closer links with the English county teams, to encourage the development of age group cricket, and to introduce a professional element into the Irish game. They also want to take the Ireland cricket team on winter tours more often.[127]
In an attempt to prevent the game losing players to counties or other commitments such as jobs, it was suggested that central contracts should be introduced.[128] This was done in June 2009, with the first two going toTrent Johnston andAlex Cusack.[77] The number of full-time contracts was expanded to six in January 2010 with support for a further nine players; the contracts were split into three categories.[129][130] In January 2012 the number of contracts was increased to 23, and coach Phil Simmons highlighted the process of becoming professional as an important factor in the team's success.[131]
In Test matches, Ireland wears cricket whites, with the optional sweater or vest with a green v-neck with the Cricket Ireland logo on the centre. The shirts feature the Cricket Ireland logo on the right breast, the manufacturer logo on the sleeve and the sponsor logo on the left breast. The fielders wear a navy blue cricket cap or a white sunhat with the Cricket Ireland logo. The batsman helmets are coloured similarly. In limited-overs cricket, Ireland wears an emerald green (in ODI) or lawn green (in T20) uniform with dark blue and white accents and feature the Cricket Ireland logo on the right breast, the sponsor logo on the centre and the manufacturer logo on the left breast. The fielders wear a dark blue baseball-style cap or sunhat.[132]
Dark blue, sometimes referred to as 'presidential blue', taken from both the Irish Presidential seal and the Irish quarter of the British Royal coat of arms, is historically considered a secondary national colour of Ireland, and frequently appears along with green on the kit of all-island teams e.g. hockey and rugby union.[133]
In ICC-regulated tournaments, the sponsor logo goes to the non-leading arm sleeve, making space for the inscription "IRELAND" written in white, on the centre section of the shirt. The current kit supplier isMacron, who signed a four-year deal in April 2023.[134]
| World Cup record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | L | T | NR |
| 1975 | Not eligible | ||||||
| 1979 | |||||||
 1983 | |||||||
 1987 | |||||||
  1992 | |||||||
 1996 | Did not qualify | ||||||
  1999 | |||||||
   2003 | |||||||
| 2007 | Super 8 | 8/16 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| 2011 | Group Stage | 11/14 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | 9/14 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2019 | Did not qualify | ||||||
| 2023 | |||||||
 2027 | TBD | ||||||
| 2031 | |||||||
| Total | Super 8 (2007) | 3/12 | 21 | 7 | 13 | 1 | 0 |
| T20 World Cup record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | L | T | NR |
| 2007 | Did not qualify | ||||||
| 2009 | Super 8 | 8/12 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | Group stage | 9/12 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2012 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 2014 | 13/16 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 15/16 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | |
  2021 | 14/16 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2022 | Second round | 10/16 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
 2024 | Group stage | 18/20 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 2026 | Qualified | ||||||
| 2028 | TBD | ||||||
| 2030 | Qualified as co-hosts | ||||||
| Total | Super 8 (2009) | 8/9 | 29 | 7 | 17 | 0 | 4 |
| ICC Trophy / World Cup Qualifier (One day, List A from 2005) | Intercontinental Cup (FC) | ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier (T20I/Twenty20) | T20 World Cup Europe Regional Final |
|---|---|---|---|
|
| ICC 6 Nations Challenge/ World Cricket League (ODI) | European Championship (OD/ODI) ‡ | Triple Crown (Tournament defunct) |
|---|---|---|
|
|
‡ Only the matches between Scotland, Ireland and the Netherlands in the 2006 tournament have official ODI status.
| Result summary | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Position | GP | W | L | T | NR | ||
| 2018 | 3/3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2019 | 1/3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Total | 8 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | |||
This lists all the active players who have played for Ireland in the past year (since 18 December 2024) and the forms in which they have played, or any players (in italics) outside this criterion who have been selected in the team's most recent squad. In addition, it includes all players contracted byCricket Ireland in June 2024.[135]
Key
| Name | Age | Batting style | Bowling style | Domestic team | Con | Forms | S/N | Captaincy | Last Test | Last ODI | Last T20I |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batters | |||||||||||
| Ross Adair | 31 | Right-handed | Slow left-arm orthodox | Northern Knights | F/T | T20I | 15 | — | — | 2024 | |
| Andrew Balbirnie | 34 | Right-handed | Right-armoff-break | Leinster Lightning | F/T | Test, ODI, T20I | 63 | Test (C) | 2025 | 2025 | 2024 |
| James McCollum | 30 | Right-handed | Right-armmedium | Northern Knights | F/T | Test | 7 | 2023 |  2021 | — | |
| Paul Stirling | 35 | Right-handed | Right-armoff-break | Northern Knights | F/T | Test, ODI, T20I | 1 | ODI, T20I (C) & Test (VC) | 2025 | 2025 | 2025 |
| Morgan Topping | 26 | Right-handed | Right-armoff-break | Northern Knights | — | — | 29 | — | — | — | |
| Harry Tector | 25 | Right-handed | Right-armoff-break | Leinster Lightning | F/T | Test, ODI, T20I | 13 | 2025 | 2025 | 2025 | |
| Tim Tector | 22 | Right-handed | Right-armoff-break | Leinster Lightning | — | T20I | 4 | — | — | 2025 | |
| All-rounders | |||||||||||
| Curtis Campher | 26 | Right-handed | Right-armmedium-fast | Munster Reds | F/T | Test, ODI, T20I | 32 | 2025 | 2025 | 2025 | |
| Gareth Delany | 28 | Right-handed | Right-armleg-break | Munster Reds | F/T | T20I | 64 | — |  2023 | 2025 | |
| George Dockrell | 33 | Right-handed | Slow left-arm orthodox | Leinster Lightning | F/T | ODI, T20I | 50 | 2023 | 2025 | 2025 | |
| Jordan Neill | 19 | Right-handed | Right-armmedium-fast | Northern Knights | — | — | 39 | — | — | — | |
| Wicket-keepers | |||||||||||
| Peter Moor | 34 | Right-handed | Right-armoff-break | Munster Reds | F/T | Test | 10 | 2025 | — | — | |
| Stephen Doheny | 27 | Right-handed | Right-armoff-break | North West Warriors | F/T | ODI | 20 | — | 2024 | 2023 | |
| Neil Rock | 25 | Left-handed | — | Northern Knights | F/T | T20I | 5 | — | 2022 | 2025 | |
| Lorcan Tucker | 29 | Right-handed | — | Leinster Lightning | F/T | Test, ODI, T20I | 3 | ODI, T20I (VC) | 2025 | 2025 | 2025 |
| Pace bowlers | |||||||||||
| Mark Adair | 29 | Right-handed | Right-armmedium-fast | Northern Knights | F/T | Test, ODI, T20I | 32 | 2025 | 2025 | 2024 | |
| Matthew Foster | 25 | Left-handed | Right-armfast-medium | Northern Knights | F/T | — | 52 | — | — | — | |
| Fionn Hand | 27 | Right-handed | Right-armmedium | Leinster Lightning | F/T | ODI, T20I | 71 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
| Graham Hume | 35 | Left-handed | Right-armfast-medium | North West Warriors | F/T | ODI, T20I | 41 | 2023 | 2025 | 2025 | |
| Josh Little | 26 | Right-handed | Left-armfast | Leinster Lightning | F/T | ODI, T20I | 82 | — | 2025 | 2025 | |
| Thomas Mayes | 24 | Right-handed | Right-armmedium-fast | Northern Knights | R | — | 22 | — | — | — | |
| Barry McCarthy | 33 | Right-handed | Right-armfast-medium | Leinster Lightning | F/T | Test, ODI, T20I | 60 | 2025 | 2024 | 2024 | |
| Liam McCarthy | 23 | Left-handed | Right-armfast-medium | Munster Reds | R | — | 34 | — | — | — | |
| Craig Young | 35 | Right-handed | Right-armfast-medium | North West Warriors | F/T | Test, ODI, T20I | 44 | 2025 | 2024 | 2025 | |
| Spin bowlers | |||||||||||
| Matthew Humphreys | 23 | Right-handed | Slow left-arm orthodox | Northern Knights | R | Test, ODI, T20I | 11 | 2025 | 2025 | 2025 | |
| Gavin Hoey | 24 | Right-handed | Right-armleg-break | Leinster Lightning | R | ODI | 59 | — | 2024 | — | |
| Andy McBrine | 32 | Left-handed | Right-armoff-break | North West Warriors | F/T | Test, ODI | 35 | 2025 | 2025 | 2022 | |
| Ben White | 27 | Right-handed | Right-armleg-break | Munster Reds | F/T | T20I | 86 | 2023 | 2023 | 2025 | |
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| High performance director | Graeme West |
| Head coach | Heinrich Malan |
| Batting and wicketkeeping coach | Gary Wilson |
| Fast bowling coach | Ryan Eagleson |
| Spin bowling coach | Chris Brown |
| Fielding coach |
International match summary – Ireland[138][139][140]
| Playing record | ||||||
| Format | M | W | L | T | D/NR | Inaugural match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 12 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 11 May 2018 |
| One-Day Internationals | 210 | 83 | 108 | 3 | 16 | 13 June 2006 |
| Twenty20 Internationals | 177 | 72 | 94 | 2 | 9 | 2 August 2008 |
Last updated 23 November 2025.
Most Test runs for Ireland[144]
| Most Test wickets for Ireland[145]
|
Test record versus other nations[138]
| Opponent | Matches | Won | Lost | Draw | Tied | First win |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 March 2024 |
| Bangladesh | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| England | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| Pakistan | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Sri Lanka | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| Zimbabwe | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 July 2024 |
Records complete to Test #2607. Last updated 23 November 2025.
Most ODI runs for Ireland[149]
| Most ODI wickets for Ireland[150]
|
Highest ODI scores for Ireland[151]
| Player | Runs | Opposition | Venue | Competition | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Stirling | 177 | Canada | Toronto | Irish cricket team in Canada in 2010–11 | 7 September 2010 |
| Paul Stirling | 162 | UAE | Bulawayo | 2023 Cricket World Cup Qualifier | 27 June 2023 |
| Ed Joyce | 160* | Afghanistan | Belfast | Afghan cricket team in Ireland in 2016 | 19 July 2016 |
| Andrew Balbirnie | 145* | Afghanistan | Dehradun | Irish cricket team against Afghanistan in India in 2018–19 | 5 March 2019 |
| Paul Stirling | 142 | England | Southampton | Irish cricket team in England in 2020 | 4 August 2020 |
| Kevin O'Brien | 142 | Kenya | Nairobi (Ruaraka) | 2007 ICC World Cricket League Division One | 2 February 2007 |
| Harry Tector | 140 | Bangladesh | Chelmsford | Bangladeshi cricket team against Ireland in England in 2023 | 12 May 2023 |
| William Porterfield | 139 | UAE | Dubai | 2017–18 United Arab Emirates Tri-Nation Series | 13 January 2018 |
| Harry Tector | 138 | Afghanistan | Sharjah | Irish cricket team against Afghanistan in the UAE in 2023–24 | 7 March 2024 |
| Andrew Balbirnie | 135 | West Indies | The Village,Malahide | 2019 Ireland Tri-Nation Series | 11 May 2019 |
ODI record versus other nations[139]
| Opponent | M | W | L | T | NR | First win |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| v. Full members | ||||||
| Afghanistan | 32 | 13 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 3 July 2010 |
| Australia | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | |
| Bangladesh | 16 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 15 April 2007 |
| England | 15 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 2 March 2011 |
| India | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| New Zealand | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | |
| Pakistan | 7 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 17 March 2007 |
| South Africa | 11 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 13 July 2021 |
| Sri Lanka | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | |
| West Indies | 18 | 4 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 16 February 2015 |
| Zimbabwe | 25 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 30 September 2010 |
| v. Associate Members | ||||||
 Bermuda | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 January 2007 |
 Canada | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 April 2009 |
| Kenya | 10 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 24 August 2008 |
| Nepal | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 July 2023 |
| Netherlands | 13 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 11 July 2007 |
| Oman | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
 Papua New Guinea | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 March 2018 |
| Scotland | 21 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 5 August 2006 |
| United Arab Emirates | 9 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 25 February 2015 |
| United States | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 June 2023 |
Records complete to ODI #4877. Last updated 25 May 2025.
Most T20I runs for Ireland[154]
| Most T20I wickets for Ireland[155]
| Highest T20I scores for Ireland[156]
|
T20I record versus other nations[140]
| Opponent | M | W | L | T | NR | First win |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| v. Full members | ||||||
| Afghanistan | 27 | 7 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 1 February 2010 |
| Australia | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| Bangladesh | 8 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 8 June 2009 |
| England | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 26 October 2022 |
| India | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | |
| New Zealand | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | |
| Pakistan | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 10 May 2024 |
| South Africa | 7 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 29 September 2024 |
| Sri Lanka | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| West Indies | 9 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 19 February 2014 |
| Zimbabwe | 18 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 17 March 2014 |
| v. Associate Members | ||||||
 Austria | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 July 2023 |
 Bahrain | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 February 2022 |
| Bermuda | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 August 2008 |
| Canada | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 22 March 2012 |
 Denmark | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 July 2023 |
 Germany | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 February 2022 |
 Hong Kong | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 October 2019 |
 Italy | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 July 2023 |
 Jersey | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 October 2019 |
| Kenya | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 August 2008 |
| Namibia | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 November 2019 |
| Nepal | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 July 2015 |
| Netherlands | 15 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 13 February 2010 |
 Nigeria | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 October 2019 |
| Oman | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 13 February 2019 |
| Papua New Guinea | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 12 October 2021 |
| Scotland | 16 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 August 2008 |
| United Arab Emirates | 11 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 19 March 2014 |
| United States | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 23 December 2021 |
Records complete to T20I #3467. Last updated 21 September 2025.
Most First-class runs[158]
| Player | Matches | Innings | Average | 100s | Runs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin O'Brien | 38 | 56 | 40.17 | 2 | 1848 |
| William Porterfield | 28 | 46 | 40.95 | 5 | 1802 |
| Andrew White | 30 | 41 | 52.81 | 5 | 1637 |
| Stanley Bergin | 27 | 52 | 34.26 | 2 | 1610 |
| Niall O'Brien | 21 | 33 | 49.23 | 6 | 1526 |
Most First-class wickets[159]
| Player | Matches | Overs | Average | 5WI | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jimmy Boucher | 28 | 905.4 | 14.04 | 18 | 168 |
| Trent Johnston | 28 | 632.1 | 17.20 | 32 | 97 |
| Alec O'Riordan | 25 | 749.4 | 21.39 | 5 | 75 |
| George Dockrell | 18 | 642.3 | 26.06 | 3 | 71 |
| Dermott Monteith | 19 | 695.2 | 18.96 | 5 | 70 |
Highest individual innings[160]
| Player | Score | Opponents | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ed Joyce | 231 | UAE | 2–3 June 2015 | Malahide |
| Eoin Morgan | 209* | UAE | 11 February 2007 | Abu Dhabi |
| Andrew Balbirnie | 205* | Netherlands | 15 August 2017 | Malahide |
| Ed Joyce | 205 | Namibia | 24 October 2015 | Windhoek |
| Jeremy Bray | 190 | UAE | 25 February 2005 | Windhoek |
| Andre Botha | 186 | Scotland | 9 August 2007 | Belfast |
| William Porterfield | 186 | Namibia | 24 October 2015 | Windhoek |
| Niall O'Brien | 176 | UAE | 23 October 2005 | Windhoek |
| Niall O'Brien | 174 | UAE | 6 March 2008 | Abu Dhabi |
| Andre Botha | 172 | Netherlands | 9 July 2008 | Rotterham |
Best bowling in an innings[161]
| Player | Figures | Opponents | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Francis Fee | 9/26 | Scotland | 27 July 1957 | College Park |
| Garfield Harrison | 9/113 | Scotland | 11 August 1990 | Myreside |
| Scott Huey | 8/48 | MCC | 04 September 1954 | College Park |
| Robert Gregory | 8/80 | Scotland | 29 August 1912 | Rathmines |
| Bob Lambert | 7/11 | Scotland | 21 July 1910 | College Park |
| Jimmy Boucher | 7/13 | New Zealand | 11 September 1937 | Rathmines |
| Jimmy Boucher | 7/18 | Scotland | 24 June 1950 | North Inch Perth |
| Dermott Monteith | 7/38 | Scotland | 11 August 1973 | Mardyke |
| Roy Torrens | 7/40 | Scotland | 10 August 1974 | Cambusdoon Ayr |
| Henry Morgan | 7/41 | Scotland | 17 June 1933 | Ormeau |
Note:Ivan Anderson's 198* v. Canada was in a non-first-class match
| Preceded by | Test match playing teams 11 May 2018 | Succeeded by |
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| Grounds | |||||||||||
| Culture | |||||||||||
| Key personnel |
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