cricket ireland has revealed its central contract list for the 2026–27 season, with a total of 48 players offered deals across the senior men’s and women’s teams. The announcement adds 25 players to the men’s squad and 23 players to the women’s squad, providing significant financial stability and support as Ireland prepare for a busy international calendar.
The contracts run for the period of 2026–27 and are designed to help players focus solely on representing Ireland on the global stage.
Highlights of 2026-27 Central Contract Structure
Cricket Ireland maintains a flexible approach with a variety of contracts to suit the needs of players:
Men’s contracts (total 25 players)
- 20 full time contracts
- 5 retainer contract
Women’s contract (total 23 players)
- 8 full time contracts
- 10 education contracts (six of these will convert to full-time over the course of the year)
- 5 contingent contract
This structure allows many female players to balance their cricket commitments with education and work placements, while also remaining available for major matches, particularly 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 Neal, paul sterling (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 Delaney, Sarah Forbes, Abbie Harrison, Amy Hunter, Jennifer Jackson, Arlene Kelly, Gabby Lewis (ODI & T20I captain), Louise Little, Joanna Loughran, Amy Maguire, Jane Maguire, Lara McBride, Kia McCartney, Ellie McGee, Cara Murray, Leah Paul, Orla Prendergast, Rebecca Stokell, Alice Tector.
Seven new male entrants: Ben, Jordan, Tom, Tim and Cade all earned their places in 2025 based on senior international performance. Reuben and Hollard were rewarded for exceptional domestic performances, with Wilson’s contributions during the Under-19 World Cup cycle also playing a role in their selection.
Five people were not placed: Cricket Ireland confirmed that five players from the previous cycle have not been offered contracts for 2026–27. No names were officially disclosed, but the board acknowledged the difficulty of these decisions given the personal sacrifices made by each player.
Sophie McMahon retired: The experienced player of the women’s team has completely distanced herself from the game, due to which her contracted career has ended.
Freya Sargent steps away: Sargent has opted out of international cricket, removing herself from the women’s contract list.
No new women players included: Unlike the men’s team, the women’s team has not seen any new additions to the contracted group this season. Instead the focus has been on strengthening the existing pool ahead of the T20 World Cup.
T20 World Cup Commitment: By Ava Canning, Christina Coulter Reilly, Amy Hunter and Rebecca Stoekel The decision to postpone education and work placement to fully commit to the summer program is perhaps the most important individual story of this contracting cycle. This shows a group that is all set to make it to the T20 World Cup.
Also read: BCCI confirms date, match time and venue for Ireland vs India T20 series