For Irish women’s cricket, World Cup qualification is never just a box ticked on the calendar; it is a measure of progress, resilience and belief built over years.
Speaking exclusively to Vishal Yadav for Female Cricket during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifiers 2026, Leah Paul reflected on what qualification meant for a team still shaped by the disappointment of missing out last time around and how Ireland ensured that history did not repeat itself. The qualifiers marked a moment of redemption for a side that had learned hard lessons in recent cycles. For Paul, the emotions were shared across the group rather than owned individually.
“Yeah, I think obviously we had some tough times back in the last qualifiers and we wanted to kind of right those wrongs this time around. I think we’re all so delighted to get the job done.”
At 24, Paul is already a key figure in Ireland’s setup. She has scored over 1,200 runs in ODIs and more than 600 runs in T20I, while continuing to contribute with the ball as a slow left-arm spinner. Her growth as a batter has been underlined by her career-best 137, an innings that showcased her ability to balance control with acceleration at international level.
Her journey, however, has involved significant adaptation. Initially coming through as a left-arm pace bowler, Paul was forced to change her approach due to injury, a transition that tested both her skill set and mindset. “I wouldn’t say my bowling journey has been the most easy. I think I started off bowling spin a while ago and have had some setbacks, but I think my role now mainly as a batter in the team is something that I really enjoy. Hopefully I can add to that with the bowling and hopefully be able to bowl a few overs here and there when the team needs me.”
Despite those setbacks, Paul never truly feared that injuries might bring her career to an early end. Instead, she credits consistent work away from the field for her ability to stay available. “Not particularly, no. I think I’ve been quite lucky in recent years with not really having too many injury setbacks and hopefully I can keep it, keep it going that way working on our strength and conditioning in the gym and that robustness that you need when you’re playing so many games back-to-back.”
One of the most visible changes in Paul’s career has been her batting role. Once opening the innings, she now operates primarily in the middle order, a shift that has required deliberate technical and mental adjustments.
“Yeah, I think my role in the team’s changed over the past few years. I used to open the batting and now I’m more a middle-order player in both formats. Um, so it’s been something I’ve been working on a lot trying to kind of get different boundary options and increasing my strike rate and playing that kind of fearless brand of cricket that we look to play within our Team,” she explained.
For Paul, the transformation went beyond mechanics. “I think as well as skill shift it’s kind of been a mental shift as well,” highlighting how important mental confidence impacts the game.
Her ability to combine control with intent was evident during one of the standout moments of her career — the record 236-run partnership that remains etched in Irish cricket history. “It’s one of those good days where you kind of get going and nothing really stops you. You probably don’t have so many days like that playing cricket, so I think they’re probably the ones that you will always remember and be able to look back on,” she said talking about the partnership with Gaby Lewis against Netherlands.
When asked about inspiration, Paul pointed close to home. Growing up in Bray, she witnessed the rise of one of Ireland’s most iconic athletes.
“I think Katie Taylor is a very inspirational sports person from my local town. Obviously, she is one of the most famous female athletes that Ireland’s produced. I think from being in the same locality is something really interesting.”
Cricket-wise, however, her focus remains firmly collective. “Cricket-wise, there’s no one who really stands out. I guess all my teammates.” That team-first mindset also shapes how Paul approaches goal setting. While the World Cup was a clear long-term objective, she prefers not to be driven by personal milestones.
“Not necessarily personal goals. I think there are always things that I’m trying to improve on. I think kind of going out there and doing what’s best for the team on the day is probably what’s most important for us at the moment.” She acknowledged, though, that qualification had been a shared ambition for some time. “I guess there are long-term goals, like one of them would have been qualifying for this World Cup. That’s been something that we’ve been working towards as a team for the past few years.”
Paul has already experienced the intensity of a global tournament, having played at the World Cup in South Africa in 2023, an experience she believes has strengthened this group. “Yeah, I was lucky to play in the World Cup in South Africa in 2023 and it was an incredible experience. I think we put it to a lot of really good teams and showed our skills on the world stage.” Since then, Ireland’s confidence has grown.
“I think since then we’ve had some big wins against some higher-ranked teams. So I think we can go into this World Cup with nothing to lose but also a lot of confidence in our own skills and knowing that if we play our best on any day, we can take it to some of the best teams in the world.”
Asked what defines her journey most, Paul returned to the theme that runs through her game. “Oh, tough question. I think just trying to go out and be fearless and take the game forward and enjoy every moment of it.”
Often described as the “life and soul” of the Ireland dressing room, Paul sees enjoyment as essential rather than optional.
“I wouldn’t say responsibility, I’d say I try to find enjoyment in a lot of things, and I think being a professional cricketer is a tough, tough skill but something that we all really enjoy. I think, being able to celebrate and enjoy those little moments is something that I really cherish because I think playing cricket there are a lot of tough days but they kind of make the good ones a lot better.”
During the qualifiers, the team had also been closely following the Women’s Premier League (WPL), using it as a learning tool. “We’ve been watching it a bit when we’ve been here. I think we can take a lot of things from it.” For Paul, certain aspects stood out clearly. “Probably a lot of the power hitting and death batting is something that we are always looking to improve in our team. So, I think seeing how different players go about that is something that we can definitely benefit from.”
In the 2023 edition of the T20 World Cup, Ireland qualified but did not win any matches. They are still searching for their first T20 World Cup victory after 16 games, qualifying in 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2023, but Paul believes the gap is closing. “I think just the belief that we can, that we can do it. I think we’ve gotten close on multiple occasions in 2023, and I think just sticking to our processes and continuing our fearless brand of cricket we’ll, we’ll get there.”
As Ireland prepares for another World Cup appearance, Leah Paul’s words reflect a team no longer content with participation alone but driven by belief, growth, and fearlessness earned the hard way.
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