Win Projections to be updated soon
On October 15, Cricket Ireland announced that Gaby Lewis had taken Laura Delany’s place as the women’s captain of Ireland.
Gaby Lewis, now 23, made her international debut in 2014 at the age of 13, making her Ireland’s fifth-most-capped women’s international. Lewis is Ireland Women’s top run scorer with 3,742 runs at 28.95 across all formats, in addition to her 155 caps for Ireland. To far, she has amassed 21 half-centuries and two hundreds.
Lewis has already captained her country twelve times, most notably during the triumphant summer campaigns against England and Sri Lanka. Prior to the upcoming November and January visits to Bangladesh and India, respectively, she will assume leadership of the team immediately.
After captaining the team 125 times between 2016 and 2024, Laura Delany was hailed as an outstanding leader during her record-breaking term. With 207 games to date, Delany, 31, is the most-capped player for Ireland Women and made her debut in 2010.
“Laura Delany is an icon of Irish cricket having led the national team with distinction for over eight years during a time of great change and challenge,” stated Ciara O’Brien, National Women’s Selector, who stated that Laura would continue to play a significant role in the development of this Ireland Women’s international squad. She has led the squad through important turning points in the development of our sport with remarkable leadership. It is impossible to overstate her achievements as captain.
This choice represents a major shift in our senior national team’s leadership. The Selectors believed that a new leadership structure was needed because of the impending two international tours, the beginning of the new ICC Women’s Championship, and the important World Cup Qualifiers.
Orla Prendergast will be named vice captain, while Gaby Lewis will assume the captaincy as part of this change.
We wish Gaby well as we start the preparations for what will be a hectic winter and a crucial year in 2025. Gaby took over as captain this summer and impressed with her unique leadership style.
Since her appointment in 2016, Laura has demonstrated exceptional leadership, for which we are truly grateful. In order to navigate times of growth and development and accomplish noteworthy outcomes on the field, her professionalism and dedication to the squad have been crucial. With her attention and commitment to Irish cricket, Laura has always set an example and is an inspiration to cricket players around the nation.
“Laura is still an essential member of the team and will continue to play a significant role within the squad.”
“I have had the honour of working closely with Laura over the past five years and have a great deal of respect for the work she has done, both on and off the pitch,” stated Ed Joyce, head coach of Ireland Women. She has not only guided the team through the amateur to professional transition, but her amazing assistance to the team throughout those COVID years is also often overlooked. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Laura, who is among the most focused and competitive players I have ever encountered.
On the other hand, the selectors believe that fresh senior leadership is now necessary. We have looked for a new leadership team as a result of this shift in dynamics. Every year, Gaby has developed and gotten better as a leader and cricket player. Her reading and analysis of the game are superb, and she did a fantastic job as captain during Laura’s absence for a large portion of this summer. I’m eager to see where she can lead the squad in the upcoming years, and she is prepared to assume the role of captain.
The new vice captain will be Orla Prendergast. When Laura and Gaby were both injured this summer, Orla was given the chance to captain the squad, and we were quite pleased with the way she performed under pressure during the Sri Lanka series. In the games that they played together, Gaby and Orla performed admirably as the leadership team.
We have an Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup, trips to Bangladesh and India this winter, and a very significant year in 2025. We have qualifying rounds to navigate for the 2025 50-over World Cup and the 2026 T20 World Cup in addition to another hectic home summer.
As a result, we thought that now was the ideal time of year to allow the new leadership team to get settled and start making plans. I want to express my gratitude to Gaby, Laura, Ciara, and all the other participants in this process; these adjustments are never simple. We think that this young team has a great future, and I’m excited to work with Gaby and Orla in the years to come.
Gaby Lewis, who is presently playing club cricket in Melbourne, stated: “First and foremost, I would want to thank my long-time friend and comrade, Laura, for her unwavering commitment to managing the national squad and serving as an inspiration to many. I am aware that Dells was one of those players you looked to for motivation when I initially joined the senior setup. She has consistently sought to advance and enhance her skills as she transitioned from the amateur to the professional ranks, and I am forward to play with Dells on many more times as we enter the next phase of our team’s growth.
Second, I’m honoured to have been asked to serve as Ireland Women’s captain going forward. I had a great time playing the part throughout the summer, and I’m really thrilled about the young actors entering the system. Despite being a young team, our recent performance has demonstrated that we are capable of competing with the best. The selection of Orla [Prendergast] as vice captain makes me very happy.
Also Read: With their first-ever T20I triumph over England Women, Ireland Women make history
In addition to her exceptional playing ability, she possesses an exceptional cricket brain. In the upcoming years, I’m incredibly excited to lead our squad as we compete against the finest in the world.
India
