Ireland call up Craig and Harrison as Maritz returns for Emerging Nations Trophy

Ireland have included uncapped players Zara Craig and Abbi Harrison in their 14-player squad for the ICC Emerging Nations Trophy, with Lara Maritz returning five years after her last international appearance. BBC Sport reported that Gaby Lewis will captain the side, while Amy Hunter takes the vice-captaincy for the T20 international competition in the United Arab Emirates.

Craig, a 23-year-old seam-bowling all-rounder who plays for Eglinton and Phoenix, has progressed through Ireland's age-group system and was part of the country's 2023 Women's Under-19 T20 World Cup squad. Wicketkeeper-batter Harrison, 20, plays for Waringstown and featured in Ireland's squads for both the 2023 and 2025 editions. Neither has yet made a senior international appearance.

Maritz brings previous senior experience to the selection. The 25-year-old all-rounder has earned 43 caps since her debut in 2017, but has not played for Ireland since 2021. Kia McCartney is also included after making five one-day international appearances; she remains uncapped in T20 internationals. Her selection gives Ireland another player seeking a first appearance in the format, alongside the two newcomers to senior international cricket.

Several established players are absent. Orla Prendergast has permission to miss the event to play in Australia's Women's Big Bash League. Rebecca Stokell is serving a voluntary suspension after accepting responsibility for an inadvertent breach of reporting requirements concerning prescription medication. Leah Paul has made herself unavailable for the tournament, while Christina Coulter Reilly is injured. Hunter's appointment as vice-captain comes with Prendergast unavailable.

The tournament runs from 12 to 25 November and has expanded to 10 teams, split equally between Full Members and Associates. Thailand won the previous edition, which was restricted to Associate nations. Ireland's Group A campaign begins against Sri Lanka on 12 November, with Papua New Guinea, hosts UAE and Scotland completing their group opposition.

Cricket Ireland high-performance director Graeme West said the event would allow the squad to apply work from six weeks of training in international competition. With no further international cricket scheduled until March, he described the tournament as an opportunity to face teams pursuing a place among the world's top six. West also linked the competition to Ireland's preparations for the 2028 T20 World Cup.