Belfast Wolves
 Official logo of Belfast Wolves | ||
| Nickname | The Wolves | |
|---|---|---|
| League | European T20 Premier League | |
| Personnel | ||
| Captain | Glenn Maxwell | |
| Coach | Kevin O'Brien | |
| Owner | Glenn Maxwell, Rohan Lund | |
| Team information | ||
| City | Belfast, Northern Ireland | |
| Colours | Sky Blue, Black, White | |
| Founded | January 21, 2026 | |
| History | ||
| ETPL wins | 0 | |
| Official website | thebelfastwolves | |
| ||
 2026 Belfast Wolves season | ||
The Belfast Wolves is a Irish professional Twenty20 franchise cricket team based in Belfast, Northern Ireland.[1][2] They compete in the European T20 Premier League (ETPL).[3]
The Wolves were announced as one of the league's three foundation franchises on 21 January 2026,[4][2] representing Northern Ireland in the inaugural edition of the competition.[5][6] The franchise is jointly owned by former Australian international Glenn Maxwell and businessman Rohan Lund.[7] Maxwell also serves as the team's captain.[8][9]
History
[edit]Formation and ownership
[edit]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.[10][11] Maxwell became one of the first active international cricketers to hold an ownership stake in an ETPL franchise while also captaining the side.[12][13][14]
2026: Inaugural season
[edit]The Wolves assembled a strong squad ahead of the inaugural 2026 season, appointing Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell as captain and signing Irish internationals Paul Stirling, Mark Adair, Lorcan Tucker, Tim Tector, and Matthew Humphreys. Dutch internationals Fred Klaassen and Alexander Roy were also brought in, alongside Scottish all-rounder Zainullah Ihsan.[15] The squad was further strengthened by New Zealand all-rounder Mark Chapman, Italian all-rounder Harry Manenti, Italian bowler Crishan Kalugamage, American fast bowler Saurabh Netravalkar, and English fast bowler Chris Jordan. New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter Devon Conway and South African batter David Miller completed the squad.[16]
Ahead of the inaugural season opener, the team announced it would be led by Australian Glenn Maxwell and coached by Kevin O'Brien.
Belfast began their inaugural campaign with a 52-run win over Dublin Guardians[17][18][19] a no-result against Rotterdam Dockers due to rain in their second game[20] In a rain-affected game, the Belfast secured a 9-wicket win over Amsterdam Flames in their third game[21] a 59-runs defeat to Edinburgh Castle Rockers[22] a 26-run win over Glasgow Cosmic[23]
The ETPL is heading to Malahide Cricket Ground in Malahide, Ireland and the second half is ready to begin.[24] a 8-wicket defeat to Dublin Guardians[25] a 5-wicket win over Amsterdam Flames[26] a 7-wicket defeat to Rotterdam Dockers[27] a 103-run win over Glasgow Cosmic[28] Belfast completed their league campaign with a 9-run DLS victory over Edinburgh Castle Rockers.[29] After shooting up to a 2nd-place group stage finish heading into the playoffs, in the Qualifier a 7-wicket victory over Amsterdam Flames.[30][31]
Players
[edit]Squad
[edit]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.[2] 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.
Draft acquisitions
[edit]The ETPL Player Draft took place on 2 July 2026, with all six franchises selecting local players from associate nations through a snake-draft format.[32][33] Each franchise was required to select a minimum of six and a maximum of eight players from the draft pool, with salaries ranging from $20,000 to $55,000 depending on draft position.[34][35]
Irish internationals Paul Stirling, Matthew Humphreys, Tim Tector, alongside Dutch internationals Fred Klaassen and Alexander Roy also Scottish bowler Zainullah Ihsan.[36]
Current squad
[edit]- Players with international caps are listed in bold.
| No. | Name | Nat. | Batting style | Bowling style | Year signed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batters | ||||||
| Tim Tector |  Ireland |
Right-handed | 2026 | |||
| David Miller |  South Africa |
Left-handed | 2026 | |||
| All-rounders | ||||||
| Glenn Maxwell (c) |  Australia |
Right-handed | Right-arm off break | 2026 | Captain | |
| Paul Stirling | Ireland |
Left-handed | Right-arm off break | 2026 | ||
| Mark Adair | Ireland |
Right-handed | Right-arm fast-medium | 2026 | ||
| Harry Manenti |  Italy |
Right-handed | Right-arm off break | 2026 | ||
| Alexander Roy |  Netherlands |
Right-handed | 2026 | |||
| Mark Chapman |  New Zealand |
Left-handed | Slow left-arm orthodox | 2026 | ||
| Wicket-keepers | ||||||
| Lorcan Tucker (wk) | Ireland |
Left-handed | 2026 | |||
| Devon Conway (wk) | New Zealand |
Left-handed | 2026 | |||
| Bowlers | ||||||
| Gavin Hoey | Ireland |
Right-handed | Leg break | 2026 | ||
| Fred Klaassen | Netherlands |
Left-handed | Left-arm medium-fast | 2026 | ||
| Matthew Humphreys | Ireland |
Left-handed | Slow left-arm orthodox | 2026 | ||
| Crishan Kalugamage | Italy |
Right-handed | Right-arm medium-fast | 2026 | ||
| Saurabh Netravalkar |  United States |
Left-handed | Left-arm medium-fast | 2026 | ||
| Chris Jordan |  England |
Right-handed | Right-arm fast | 2026 | ||
| Zainullah Ihsan |  Scotland |
Right-handed | Right-arm medium | 2026 | ||
Administration and support staff
[edit]| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Owner & captain | Glenn Maxwell |
| Co-owner | Rohan Lund |
| Head coach | TBA |
Seasons
[edit]Summaries
[edit]| Season | W–L | Pos. | Finals | Coach | Captain | Most runs | Most Wickets | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 6–3 | 3rd | RU | Kevin O'Brien | Glen Maxwell | Mark Chapman (283) | Matthew Humphreys (15) | [37] |
Tournament finishes
[edit]| Year | League standing | Final standing |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3rd out of 6 | Runners-up |
- C: Champions
- RU: Runner-up
- SF: Team qualified for the semi-final stage of the competition
Statistics
[edit]| Year | Played | Wins | Losses | Tied/NR[a] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 12 | 7 | 4 | 1 |
Notes
[edit]- ↑ NR indicates "no result"; abandoned matches are indicated as no result.
References
[edit]- ↑ "Belfast among first franchises for new European cricket T20 league". The Irish News. 21 January 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 Gollapudi, Nagraj (21 January 2026). "Smith, Marsh to play in new Europe-based T20 league; Waugh, Maxwell among owners". Cricinfo. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
- ↑ "Belfast among first franchise cities confirmed by European T20 Premier League". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
- ↑ "Everything you need to know about Belfast's newest professional team and why they have no games in Northern Ireland". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
- ↑ "Belfast confirmed among first ETPL franchise cities". RTÉ Sport. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
- ↑ "Waugh invests in European T20 Premier League". BBC Sport. 21 January 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
- ↑ "Australian cricket legends Steve Waugh and Glenn Maxwell take ownership of T20 franchises overseas". 7NEWS. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
- ↑ "Australian star 'super proud' after being named owner of Belfast-based team for inaugural European T20 Premier League". Belfast News Letter. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
- ↑ "ETPL 2026 Draft: How Glenn Maxwell and his team shaped the 'Wolf Pack'". European T20 Premier League. 3 July 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
- ↑ "Inaugural Euro T20 Slam cancelled at two weeks' notice". ESPN. 14 August 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
- ↑ "Belfast among first franchises for new European cricket T20 league". The Irish News. 21 January 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
- ↑ "Belfast cricket franchise sold for £15m with Australian all-rounder named as captain: 'We will build a culture of fun'". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
- ↑ "Inaugural edition of ETPL to start on August 26". Cricbuzz. 28 July 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
- ↑ "European T20 franchise league to begin on August 26". Hindustan Times. 28 July 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
- ↑ "Belfast's European T20 Premier League team taking shape with six players added after draft". Belfast News Letter. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
- ↑ "From squads to schedule, here's all you need to know about the inaugural ETPL season". Wisden. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
- ↑ "Glenn Maxwell's 60 powers Belfast Wolves to commanding victory over Dublin Guardians". European T20 Premier League. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
- ↑ "It couldn't have gone much better: Belfast Wolves earn Irish bragging rights with opening Euro Premier League win over Dublin". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
- ↑ "Maxwell helps Belfast Wolves to opening ETPL win". BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
- ↑ "Rain Brings Early End as Rotterdam Dockers and Belfast Wolves Share Points". Cricinfo. Retrieved 30 August 2026.
- ↑ "Five Overs of Fury as Belfast Wolves Get Past Amsterdam Flames". ETPL. Retrieved 30 August 2026.
- ↑ "Curran hat-trick and Smuts 98 headlines Castle Rockers' huge win vs Belfast Wolves". ETPL. Retrieved 2 September 2026.
- ↑ "Chapman's 71 Powers Wolves to Victory Over Cosmic". Cricinfo. Retrieved 5 September 2026.
- ↑ "Malahide Bound: The ETPL Enters Its Next Chapter". Cricinfo. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
- ↑ "Young Leads Dublin to Landmark Win on Home Soil". etpl. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
- ↑ "Belfast Wolves Clinch Crucial Victory in Malahide". etpl. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
- ↑ "Rotterdam Dockers Chase Down 162 vs Belfast to Move Within Two Points of League Leaders Edinburgh". ETPL. Retrieved 13 September 2026.
- ↑ "Wolves deliver commanding win to move into second". ETPL. Retrieved 14 September 2026.
- ↑ "Maxwell's Fireworks Keep Belfast Wolves' Qualification Hopes Alive". ETPL. Retrieved 18 September 2026.
- ↑ "Glenn Maxwell Leads Belfast Wolves into ETPL Final with Seven-Wicket Qualifier Win". ETPL. Retrieved 20 September 2026.
- ↑ "Glenn Maxwell leads by example as captain fires Belfast Wolves into inaugural European T20 Premier League final". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
- ↑ Dutta, Soumyajit (2 July 2026). "ETPL 2026 Player Draft: Top Picks, Salaries, Teams, Full Squads Revealed". CREX. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
- ↑ "ETPL Player Draft 2026: Six teams fill spots with local talents". European T20 Premier League. 2 July 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
- ↑ "European T20 Premier League — Player Registration Circular" (Press release). Royal Dutch Cricket Association. 16 June 2026. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
- ↑ "ETPL Player Draft 2026: All You Need To Know". European T20 Premier League. 2 July 2026. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
- ↑ "ETPL 2026 Player Draft: Full Squads, Salaries & Draft Picks". SportsPinch. 7 July 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
- ↑ "European T20 Premier League, 2026 – Stats and Records". Cricinfo.