The Ireland Women’s cricket team, now under the leadership of newly appointed captain Gaby Lewis, is all set to embark on a groundbreaking six-match tour against Bangladesh, marking the first encounter between the two teams in Bangladesh in a decade.
Lewis, who was named Ireland’s permanent captain just last month, will lead a youthful squad with an average age of under 23. Despite their youth, the team holds significant experience, with seven players having surpassed 50 international caps. Lewis herself brings a wealth of experience, boasting 155 matches across formats and an impressive career total of 3,486 runs. Not just a proficient batter, she’s also proven herself as a valuable part-time bowler, having taken 13 wickets.
Reflecting on the return of former captain Laura Delany, Lewis expressed her appreciation for Delany’s mentorship saying, “Over the years, I’ve learned so much from Laura [Delany] not only from a leadership point of view but cricket in general… So, she’s someone that I’ll rely on as well, which is great and brilliant to have her back in the squad.”
She further added that Laura Delany’s experience in Bangladesh will play a crucial role, especially since she is the only player in the current squad with experience on Bangladeshi soil.
Ireland Women’s cricket team are set for their first tour to Bangladesh in 10 years.
This will be the first series under the leadership of the new permanent captain, Gaby Lewis.#CricketTwitter #IREvBAN pic.twitter.com/oWarBZDR0f
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Gaby said, “I think she’s probably the only person in the squad that’s played in Bangladesh which is huge. There was a tour before I made my first cap, so it’ll be a huge experience for us to rely on her and get that information about how the pitches might play and things like that which will be very valuable to the squad.”
Praising the team’s vice-captain, Orla Prendergast, Lewis emphasized Prendergast’s match-winning potential saying, “I think she’s one of those players that can single-handedly win you a match and they’re hard to come by. She’s been absolutely brilliant in her development over the last 12 months – and she’s really developed her leadership skills as well which I’ll be relying on heavily. I think we work very well together and she’s got a great cricket brain. So I can’t wait to see what the future holds for her.”
Ranked 11th in ODIs and 10th in T20Is, Ireland is set for a challenging contest against Bangladesh, who currently hold the 8th and 9th positions in ODIs and T20Is, respectively. The closely ranked teams are expected to deliver a competitive series. Lewis noted, “We’re two closely-ranked sides – they are a team that we’ve been neck-and-neck with over the years, but we haven’t played them for a while. So I think it will be a great test for us and a great series between the two teams.”
The upcoming series is a part of the ICC Women’s Championship, which Ireland has found instrumental in elevating its game. Gaby further expressed her excitement about the growth of women’s cricket through regular competition with stronger teams. She noted that facing higher-ranked opponents, like Sri Lanka and England, has elevated their standards, evident from their recent wins.
With the ICC recently releasing the Future Tours Program (FTP), which includes the schedule and fixtures in terms of the international calendar for the next five years, from 2025 to 2029, expanded to 11 teams in the year 2029, Zimbabwe is the new addition to the new FTP cycle. The Irish captain Gaby is hopeful that Zimbabwe will experience similar benefits, emphasizing that such exposure helps narrow the gap between the top teams and emerging ones, fostering a more competitive global landscape in women’s cricket.
Gaby expressed, “I think it just shows that if you constantly play better opposition, it just lifts our standards as well. We showed that in the summer playing against Sri Lanka and England and getting wins against both those teams and it’s great that now Zimbabwe are going to witness that as well. So it’s hugely exciting for the growth of women’s cricket as well and not letting those top teams kind of run away with it. It’s kind of bringing the bridge together.”
The two teams last faced off in 2022, where Bangladesh led in head-to-head numbers with eight victories out of 11 T20Is against Ireland’s three, while in ODIs, Bangladesh held four wins compared to Ireland’s single victory, with two matches ending without a result.
From November 27 to December 9, the Irish side will face Bangladesh in three One Day Internationals (ODIs) and three T20 Internationals (T20Is), with live coverage available on the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s YouTube channel.
Ireland Women’s ODI Squad
Gaby Lewis (C), Ava Canning, Christina Coulter Reilly, Laura Delany, Sarah Forbes, Amy Hunter, Arlene Kelly, Aimee Maguire, Jane Maguire, Cara Murray, Leah Paul, Orla Prendergast, Una Raymond-Hoey, Freya Sargent, Alice Tector.
Ireland Women’s T20I Squad
Gaby Lewis (C), Ava Canning, Christina Coulter Reilly, Laura Delany, Sarah Forbes, Amy Hunter, Arlene Kelly, Aimee Maguire, Jane Maguire, Cara Murray, Leah Paul, Orla Prendergast, Una Raymond-Hoey, Freya Sargent, Rebecca Stokell.
(Quotes sourced from Cricket Ireland)
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