George Dockrell has become Ireland's all-time leading wicket-taker in international cricket, Cricket Ireland said on 23 October 2026. The left-arm spinner reached the mark during Ireland's win over Namibia in the first match of a five-match men's ODI series, and said he had no idea the record was close.
What Was Announced
According to Cricket Ireland, Ireland made 229 in the series opener, a total that seemed below par, before going on to win. Dockrell took two wickets in the match. The first of them took him to 327 international wickets across all formats, making him Ireland's highest wicket-taker of all time. He now has 328.
"No. I wasn't aware at all yesterday," Dockrell said. He explained that spin coach Chris Brown told him about the record after the team came off the pitch, adding that he was "really surprised and delighted – probably more so that it came in a win and we could all celebrate the day."
Dockrell debuted in 2010 as a 17-year-old. Cricket Ireland noted that he lost his Ireland contract in 2019 and turned his focus to batting, and that he has more recently been selected mainly as a batter. He credited Brown and former spin coach Nathan Hauritz with helping him simplify his bowling, spin the ball hard and become more accurate over the last 12 months.
Asked for his standout moment, he named the 2011 Cricket World Cup match against India, when he dismissed Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni.
What It Means
The record comes at the start of a five-match ODI series against Namibia, with the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers on the horizon. Cricket Ireland said Dockrell needs two more ODI wickets to pass Kevin O'Brien, who holds Ireland's ODI record with 114, which would make him the country's leading wicket-taker in that format too.
Source: Cricket Ireland release.