Belfast Wolves

Belfast Wolves
NicknameThe Wolves
LeagueEuropean T20 Premier League
Personnel
CaptainGlenn Maxwell
OwnerGlenn Maxwell, Rohan Lund
Team information
CityBelfast, Northern Ireland
ColoursNavy Blue, Silver, White
     
Founded21 January 2026; 6 months ago (2026-01-21)
History
ETPL wins0
Official websitethebelfastwolves.com
2026 European T20 Premier League

The Belfast Wolves are a professional Twenty20 cricket franchise team based in Belfast, Northern Ireland.[1] They compete in the European T20 Premier League (ETPL).[2][3][4] The Wolves were announced as one of the league's three foundation franchises on 21 January 2026,[1] representing Northern Ireland in the inaugural edition of the competition.[5] The franchise is jointly owned by former Australian international Glenn Maxwell and businessman Rohan Lund.[6] Maxwell also serves as the team's captain.[7]

History

Formation and ownership

The Belfast Wolves were established as one of the inaugural franchises of the European T20 Premier League (ETPL), a tournament originally conceived in 2019 by the cricket boards of Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands, before being postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and revived for a 2026 launch.[8][9][8][10] Maxwell became one of the first active international cricketers to hold an ownership stake in an ETPL franchise while also captaining the side.[8] The Wolves play their home matches at the Stormont Cricket Ground in Belfast.[11][12]

Player recruitment

The Wolves assembled an experienced squad ahead of the inaugural ETPL season, appointing Glenn Maxwell as captain while retaining his dual role as player-owner.[8] The franchise secured several established international cricketers, including Rassie van der Dussen, Mark Chapman, Chris Woakes, Chris Green, Sam Harper and Ashton Agar, forming the core of the team's overseas contingent.

The squad was further strengthened with leading associate players from Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands, giving the Wolves a balanced combination of international experience and local talent. The management emphasised versatility by targeting players capable of contributing in multiple roles across batting, bowling and fielding.

Draft strategy

The ETPL Player Draft was held on 2 July 2026 using a snake-draft format, with each franchise selecting players from the associate nations of Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands.[13] Each franchise was required to draft between six and eight players, with salaries determined according to draft position.

Having already secured an experienced overseas core before the draft, the Belfast Wolves focused on strengthening their squad depth with local talent and specialist bowlers. The franchise prioritised flexibility in player roles, aiming to build a balanced squad capable of adapting to varying playing conditions during the inaugural ETPL season.

Current squad

  • Players with international caps are listed in bold.
Team roster
Name Nat. Batting Style Bowling Style Role
Batters
Paul Stirling  Ireland Right-handed Right-arm off break Batter
Tim Tector  Ireland Right-handed Batter
Alex Roy  Netherlands Right-handed Batter
All-rounders
Glenn Maxwell (c)  Australia Right-handed Right-arm off break All-rounder
Mark Adair  Ireland Right-handed Right-arm fast-medium All-rounder
Fred Klaassen  Netherlands Left-handed Left-arm medium-fast All-rounder
Zainullah Ihsan  Scotland Right-handed Right-arm medium All-rounder
Wicket-keeper
Lorcan Tucker (wk)  Ireland Right-handed Wicket-keeper
Bowlers
Matthew Humphreys  Ireland Left-handed Slow left-arm orthodox Bowler

Administration and support staff

Position Name
Owner & captain Glenn Maxwell
Co-owner Rohan Lund
Head coach TBA

Seasons

Summaries

Season W–L Pos. Finals Coach Captain Most runs Most Wickets Refs
2026

Tournament finishes

Year League standing Final standing
2026
  •   C: Champions
  •   RU: Runner-up
  •   SF: Team qualified for the semi-final stage of the competition

Statistics

Year Played Wins Losses Tied/NR[a]
2026

Notes

  1. ^ NR indicates "no result"; abandoned matches are indicated as no result.

References

  1. ^ a b Gollapudi, Nagraj (21 January 2026). "Smith, Marsh to play in new Europe-based T20 league; Waugh, Maxwell among owners". Cricinfo. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  2. ^ "Inaugural edition of ETPL to start on August 26". Cricbuzz. 28 July 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  3. ^ "European T20 franchise league to begin on August 26". Hindustan Times. 28 July 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  4. ^ "European T20 Premier League". ETPL. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  5. ^ "Waugh invests in European T20 Premier League". BBC Sport. 21 January 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  6. ^ "Belfast among first franchises for new European cricket T20 league". The Irish News. 21 January 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  7. ^ "ETPL 2026 Draft: How Glenn Maxwell and his team shaped the 'Wolf Pack'". European T20 Premier League. 27 July 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  8. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference cricinfo-smith-marsh was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ "Inaugural Euro T20 Slam cancelled at two weeks' notice". ESPN. 14 August 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  10. ^ "Belfast among first franchises for new European cricket T20 league". The Irish News. 21 January 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  11. ^ "Inaugural European T20 Premier League postponed to 2026". Cricbuzz. 6 June 2025. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  12. ^ "Euro T20 league backed by Bollywood to be postponed". BBC Sport. 5 June 2025. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  13. ^ "European T20 Premier League — Player Registration Circular". Royal Dutch Cricket Association (KNCB). 16 June 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.

Content Disclaimer

Informasi ini disarikan dari Wikipedia dan disajikan kembali untuk tujuan edukasi. Konten tersedia di bawah lisensi CC BY-SA 3.0. Kami tidak bertanggung jawab atas ketidakakuratan data yang bersumber dari kontribusi publik tersebut.

  1. The information displayed on this website is sourced in part or in whole from Wikipedia and has been adapted for the purpose of restating it. We strive to provide accurate and relevant information, however:
  2. There is no guarantee of absolute accuracy. Wikipedia is an open, collaborative project that can be edited by anyone, so information is subject to change.
  3. It is not intended to constitute professional advice. The content displayed is for informational and educational purposes only. For important decisions (e.g., medical, legal, or financial), please consult a professional.
  4. Content copyright. Wikipedia is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License (CC BY-SA). This means that content may be reused with appropriate attribution and shared under a similar license.
  5. Responsible use. Any risk arising from the use of information from this website is entirely the responsibility of the user.