Gaby Lewis named new permanent Ireland Womens captain

Lewis, 23, made her debut on the international scene in 2014 at the age of 13, and now she is the sixth most capped women's international for Ireland. Lewis is the top run scorer for Ireland Women with 155 caps, having scored 3,742 runs at a 28.95 average across all formats. To date, she has amassed two centuries and twenty-one half-centuries.

Lewis has led her country's team twelve times to date, the last two times being during the triumphant summer campaigns against England and Sri Lanka. She will assume leadership of the team immediately, ahead of upcoming travels to Bangladesh and India in November and January, respectively.
Laura Delany was praised on her exceptional eight years as the departing captain.

Laura Delany led the team 125 times between 2016 and 2024, earning accolades as an outstanding leader throughout her record-breaking captaincy.

With 207 outings to her name, Delany, 31, is the most-capped player for Ireland Women, having made her debut in 2010.

The National Women's Selector, Ciara O'Brien, stated that Laura will keep being essential to the growth of this Ireland Women's international team:

"Laura Delany is a national treasure of Irish cricket, having guided the team to glory for more than eight years amid significant upheaval and hardship. She has led the squad through important turning points in the development of our sport with remarkable leadership. It would be incorrect to downplay her accomplishments as captain.

Within our senior national team, this choice represents a major shift in leadership. The Selectors decided that the moment was opportune to implement a new leadership structure because they had two overseas tours coming up, the new ICC Women's Championship was about to begin, and there were important World Cup Qualifiers to come.

"Gaby Lewis will assume the captaincy during this change, with Orla Prendergast serving as vice captain. As Gaby assumed the captaincy this summer, her unique leadership style made an impression. We wish her well as we start organizing for the hectic winter ahead and the critically significant year 2025.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Laura for her outstanding leadership since her appointment in 2016. Her dedication to the team and professionalism have been crucial in helping the group through times of development and improvement as well as in producing noteworthy on-field outcomes. With her unwavering commitment to Irish cricket, Laura has set a great example for cricketers around the nation. 
 

"Laura is still an essential member of the team and will continue to play a significant role within the squad."

Ireland Women's head coach Ed Joyce stated:

"Over the past five years, I have had the honor of working closely with Laura, and I have the utmost admiration for the job that she has accomplished, both on and off the field.

She not only guided the team through the change from amateur to professional status, but she also provided the squad with amazing assistance during the COVID-19 years, which is mostly unacknowledged. I have thoroughly loved every minute of working with Laura, who is among the most focused and competitive players I have ever encountered.

"The new vice captain will be Orla Prendergast. When Gaby and Laura were sidelined 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. Then, when both of them were playing together, Gaby and Orla performed incredibly well as the leadership team.

"We have an Under-19s Women's T20 World Cup, tours to Bangladesh and India this winter, and a very significant year ahead in 2025. We have qualification events 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 determined that this point in the cycle would be ideal for allowing the new leadership team to adjust and start making plans. I want to thank Gaby, Laura, Ciara, and everyone else who has helped in this process; these adjustments are never easy. We think this young team has a strong future, and I'm excited to collaborate with Gaby and Orla in the coming months.

Gaby Lewis, who is presently playing club cricket in Melbourne, stated the following:

"First and foremost, I want to thank Laura, my longtime friend and comrade, for her unwavering commitment to leading the national team 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 worked hard to hone her skills since transitioning from the amateur to the professional ranks, and as our team advances to the next phase of growth, I hope to play with Dells for many more games. 

"Secondly, I am honored to have been asked to serve as Ireland Women's captain indefinitely. I had a great time playing the part throughout the summer, and I'm really enthused about the new talent that the system is producing. Despite our youthful team, our past performances have demonstrated that we are capable of competing with the best.

The announcement of Orla Prendergast as vice captain makes me very happy. She possesses an exceptional cricket mind to go along with her exceptional playing ability.

"I'm really excited to be this team's leader as we compete against the best in the world in the upcoming years."