Cricket Ireland announced on 9 November 2026 a 14-player squad for the ICC Women's Emerging Nations Trophy, with Gaby Lewis as captain and Amy Hunter as vice-captain. It is Ireland Women's first appearance in the tournament, which runs in the United Arab Emirates from 12 to 25 November 2026.
What Was Announced
The squad is:
- Gaby Lewis (c)
- Amy Hunter (vc)
- Zara Craig
- Alana Dalzell
- Laura Delany
- Georgina Dempsey
- Abbi Harrison
- Louise Little
- Aimee Maguire
- Jane Maguire
- Lara Maritz
- Lara McBride
- Kia McCartney
- Cara Murray
All-rounder Orla Prendergast will miss the tournament because she is playing in the Women's Big Bash League, and Hunter takes the vice-captaincy in her absence. Lara Maritz returns to the squad for the first time since 2021, and Laura Delany makes her first appearance since the ICC Women's T20 World Cup Qualifiers in Nepal last February. Former Ireland Under-19 players Abbi Harrison and Zara Craig are called up, and Cricket Ireland said Kia McCartney, Harrison and Craig are in line for T20I debuts.
The squad began a two-day camp in Dubai to acclimatise before moving to Ajman. Hunter said: "It's really exciting to be named vice-captain of the team. To be honest, it wasn't really something that was on my radar."
What It Means
This is the first year of the expanded tournament, with five Full Members and five Associates. Ireland are in Group A with Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, Scotland and the UAE; Group B has Pakistan, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, the Netherlands and Thailand. The previous edition, for Associate teams only, was won by Thailand.
Ireland's group fixtures, with times in Irish time:
- 12 November: v Sri Lanka, T20I (5am)
- 13 November: v UAE, T20I (5am)
- 16 November: v Papua New Guinea, T20I (9.15am)
- 18 November: v Scotland, T20I (5am)
The Super Sixes follow on 20, 22 and 23 November, with the final on 25 November.
Source: Cricket Ireland release.