IT promises to be a fascinating start to 2026 for Irish cricket, with national sides competing in three World Cups before the new chief executive takes over on March 1.

Sarah Keane has a few more lengths of the pool to complete for Swim Ireland before she takes the 18km journey to the Kinsealy Business Park and the offices of Cricket Ireland. There she will take over from interim head Ross McCollum who has been keeping warm the seat vacated by Warren Deutrom.

There will be plenty to deal with in Keane’s in-tray, not least the disturbing noises coming out of Dubai where it is reported that the ICC’s new broadcasting deal will be an awful lot less than its predecessor.

Before then, the new CEO will be getting used to some very early mornings checking out her new charges as they take on the world.

First up is the Under-19 men, whose 50-over World Cup starts in Zimbabwe and Namibia on January 15. Ireland’s last appearance two years ago saw the side captained by Philippe Le Roux collect a notable scalp in New Zealand and have their best ever finish of eighth.

This time round they are led by Pembroke seamer Olly Riley and will be based for pool games in Namibia. The side travel without the promising Gethin Kelleher, who suffered a head injury at a training session last month.

Ireland face Sri Lanka, Australia and Japan and will look to Adam Leckey, Seb Dijkstra and Robert O’Brien, nephew of former Ireland stars Niall and Kevin. Also in the squad are three players whose fathers were senior internationals: James West (son of Regan), Callum Armstrong (Conor) and Freddie Ogilby (Stephen).

Three days later, in the Tribhuvan University ground in Kathmandhu, Ireland Women begin their T20 World Cup global qualifier against Papua New Guinea.

Ireland’s recent run of 16 wins in 18 T20s came to a crashing end in South Africa, where they lost heavily to a side who had finished runner-up in the last two World Cups. That white ball series summed up the recent fortunes of the side, with the batters holding their own for long periods – especially the ‘big three’ of Gaby Lewis, Amy Hunter and Orla Prendergast – but the bowling was put to the sword far too often.

The attack has served Ireland well against the lesser lights of the game but against the Proteas it rarely showed any spark and its lack of variety was badly exposed, conceding 220 and 201 – the first time Ireland had ever allowed an opponent past 200.

The one glimmer in that was the form of Aimee Maguire, returning after a year out ironing out an action that had drawn the ICC’s attention. The Hills’ slow left-armer took 3-43 in Paarl, and twice claimed the scalp of Laura Wolvaardt who scored three centuries in the five games.

Irish followers will have to get used to the quirks of Nepali time if they wish to follow the matches on icc.tv. The matches start at 9am and 1pm local time, which corresponds to 3.15am and 7.15am here.

The size and shape of Nepal presented difficulties for early geographers, so a ‘split the difference’ compromise was reached to ensure the same time-zone obtained throughout the land, which is 5hrs 45mins ahead of GMT.

The tournament is the last step towards the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in England in June-July.

Qualification is a convoluted process – Ireland have got this far by winning the European qualifier but now vie with nine other sides for the four tickets to the World Cup.

In Group A they face Bangladesh, Namibia, Papua New Guinea and the USA, needing to finish in the top three to make the Super Sixes. The other half of the draw is a tougher prospect, including Nepal, Netherlands, Scotland, Thailand and Zimbabwe.

On paper there is nothing to fear for Ireland, who have beaten the three weaker sides in all their previous meetings. Bangladesh edge an 8-6 record against Ireland, but Gaby Lewis’ side has the upper hand having had a clean sweep of three T20is in Sylhet last December.

If Ireland’s bowlers step up, and the fielding howlers that beset them in South Africa are eradicated, they should have qualification wrapped up early.

But they will be wary of facing Scotland, who have won both their most recent encounters, preventing Ireland from reaching the 2024 World Cup.

The Scots are led by a pair of sisters who are the best players outside the full members and relish playing the Irish.

Kathryn Bryce, 28, has faced Ireland 10 times, scoring 256 runs at an average of 42.7, as well as taking 13 wickets. Bryce’s 4-8 and unbeaten 35 was the difference when the Wildcats beat Ed Joyce’s side in Dubai in 2024. Her wicketkeeping sister Sarah, 25, has made 290 runs at an average of 26.4, and both sisters have been regulars in the franchise leagues in England, Australia and India for several seasons.

The final of the women’s qualifier takes place on 3 February in Kirtipur, four days before the men’s T20 World Cup kicks off in India and Sri Lanka.

The Blarney Army are delighted to have been drawn in a group that is entirely played in Sri Lanka, with just one game outside the capital, a two-hour drive away in Kandy. Logistics apart, it is far from a dream draw, pitting Heinrich Malan’s team against the host nation, Australia, Zimbabwe and Oman.

With only two teams progressing to the Super Eights, Ireland will need to hit the ground running in the Premadasa Stadium, where they face Sri Lanka and Australia in their opening games.

Like the women’s side, they come into this tournament on the wrong end of a 3-0 series defeat, in Bangladesh, with lots of questions over several departments.

Ross Adair missed the series with a bone stress injury, although Tim Tector showed flashes of the talent which could mean he opens with Paul Stirling anyway.

Adair’s brother Mark returned after injury in Chattogram and Malan will hope he’s firing fully in the five warm-games in Dubai in late January, where Ireland face Italy and UAE. The Italians, whose assistant coach is Irish legend Kevin O’Brien, caused the main shock in the European qualifier by eliminating Scotland.

The Irish coach’s main headache concerns Josh Little, who has not been in great form or fitness for quite a while, and there was no sign of it returning in Bangladesh.

The T20 World Cup has never been Ireland’s favourite, with disastrous defeats in the last decade to Netherlands, Oman, Namibia and Canada offset only by the 2022 event when they beat West Indies and England.

Oman will be awkward opponents, having beaten Ireland in their most recent encounter in the ODI World Cup qualifiers. Zimbabwe are in a bit of a transition but have had plenty of opportunities to find their feet. Since they beat Ireland 1-0 in a rain-hit series last February, Malan’s men have played just six T20s (one win), while the Africans have played 22, beating Afghanistan and Sri Lanka.

So, reaching the top two in the group is something of a tall order, but should Ireland defy form, the new CEO will be jetting out to watch the final in Ahmedabad (or Colombo if their opponents are Pakistan).

Otherwise, she will have to face the M50 and that in-tray headache.

SENIOR MEN’S T20 WORLD CUP
Sri Lanka & India, 7 March–8 April
Warm-ups: v Italy (Dubai) 23, 25, 26 Jan; v UAE (Dubai) 29, 31 Jan.
Tournament: v Sri Lanka (Colombo) 8 Feb, v Australia (Colombo) 11 Feb-, v Oman (Colombo) 14 Feb, v Zimbabwe (Kandy) 17 Feb.
Head coach: Heinrich Malan (pic)

SENIOR WOMEN’S T20 WORLD CUP GLOBAL QUALIFIER
Nepal, 18 January–3 February
Warm-ups: v Nepal (Mulpani) 14 Jan, v Zimbabwe (Kirtipur) 16 Jan.
Tournament: v Papua New Guinea (Kirtipur) 18 Jan, v USA (Kirtipur) 22 Jan, v Bangladesh (Mulpani) 24 Jan, v Namibia (Kirtipur) 26 Jan.
Head coach: Lloyd Tennant
Squad: Gaby Lewis (capt), Ava Canning, Christina Coulter Reilly, Alana Dalzell, Laura Delany, Sarah Forbes, Amy Hunter, Arlene Kelly, Aimee Maguire, Jane Maguire, Lara McBride, Cara Murray, Leah Paul, Orla Prendergast, Rebecca Stokell.

Zimbabwe & Namibia, 15 UNDER-19 MEN’S 50-OVER WORLD CUP
January–6 February 
Warm-ups: v Scotland 6 January, North-West Colts (Potchefstroom) 7 January; v West Indies, (Windhoek) 10 January, v Tanzania (Windhoek) 13 January.
Tournament: v Australia (Windhoek) 16 January, v Sri Lanka (Windhoek) 19 January, v Japan (Windhoek) 22 January.
Head coach: Peter Johnston
Squad: Alex Armstrong (CIYMS), Callum Armstrong (Rush), Marko Bates (Muckamore), Sebastian Dijkstra (Merrion), Thomas Ford (CSNI), Samuel Haslett (Bonds Glen), Adam Leckey (CSNI), Febin Manoj (The Hills), Luke Murray (Pembroke), Robert O’Brien (Railway Union), Freddie Ogilby (Bready), Oliver Riley (Pembroke) (captain), James West (CSNI), Bruce Whaley (Railway Union), Reuben Wilson (Clontarf) (vice-captain).