Gaby Lewis Takes the Helm as New Ireland Women's Cricket Captain

In a significant shift for the Ireland Women's Cricket team, Gaby Lewis has been appointed as the new captain, succeeding the experienced Laura Delany. Delany, who has represented Ireland 207 times across all formats and led the team for the past eight years, will continue to play for the team. The 23-year-old Lewis, who made her debut for Ireland at the age of 13, is the team's highest run-scorer with 3,742 runs at an average of 28.95, including two centuries and 21 half-centuries.

"I am thrilled to be named the permanent captain of Ireland Women's Cricket team," expressed Lewis, who is currently playing club cricket in Melbourne. "I have always looked up to Laura for inspiration, and I am eager to continue our journey together as we enter a new phase of our team's development."

Lewis has previously captained Ireland 12 times and is set to lead the team full-time in the upcoming tours to Bangladesh and India in November and January, respectively. The team has recently achieved success, drawing a bilateral series with Sri Lanka 1-1 in August, with Lewis scoring a century and earning the Player of the Series title.

Ireland selector Ciara O'Brien confirmed that Delany would remain an active player, while head coach Ed Joyce commended her contributions since her career began in 2010. "Laura has been a beacon of leadership and support, especially during the transition to the professional era and the challenging Covid years," Joyce said.

Orla Prendergast, aged 22, has been named as the vice-captain. She played a crucial role in Ireland's comeback to draw a T20I series against England in September. "Orla has shown great leadership under pressure, and we are confident in her abilities to support Gaby as we face a busy and important year ahead," Joyce added.

The team is looking forward to tours in Bangladesh and India, an Under-19s Women's T20 World Cup, and crucial qualifying tournaments for the 2025 50-over World Cup and the 2026 T20 World Cup.