Belfast Wolves

Belfast Wolves
Official logo of Belfast Wolves
NicknameThe Wolves
LeagueEuropean T20 Premier League
Personnel
CaptainGlenn Maxwell
CoachKevin O'Brien
OwnerGlenn Maxwell, Rohan Lund
Team information
CityBelfast, Northern Ireland
ColoursSky Blue, Black, White
     
FoundedJanuary 21, 2026; 9 months ago (2026-01-21)
History
ETPL wins0
Official websitethebelfastwolves.com

T20 kit

2026 Belfast Wolves season

The Belfast Wolves is a Irish professional Twenty20 franchise cricket team based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. They compete in the European T20 Premier League (ETPL).

The Wolves were announced as one of the league's three foundation franchises on 21 January 2026, representing Northern Ireland in the inaugural edition of the competition. The franchise is jointly owned by former Australian international Glenn Maxwell and businessman Rohan Lund. Maxwell also serves as the team's captain.

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. Maxwell became one of the first active international cricketers to hold an ownership stake in an ETPL franchise while also captaining the side.

2026: Inaugural season

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. 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.

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 a no-result against Rotterdam Dockers due to rain in their second game In a rain-affected game, the Belfast secured a 9-wicket win over Amsterdam Flames in their third game a 59-runs defeat to Edinburgh Castle Rockers a 26-run win over Glasgow Cosmic

The ETPL is heading to Malahide Cricket Ground in Malahide, Ireland and the second half is ready to begin. a 8-wicket defeat to Dublin Guardians a 5-wicket win over Amsterdam Flames a 7-wicket defeat to Rotterdam Dockers a 103-run win over Glasgow Cosmic Belfast completed their league campaign with a 9-run DLS victory over Edinburgh Castle Rockers. After shooting up to a 2nd-place group stage finish heading into the playoffs, in the Qualifier a 7-wicket victory over Amsterdam Flames.

Players

Squad

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. 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

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. 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.

Irish internationals Paul Stirling, Matthew Humphreys, Tim Tector, alongside Dutch internationals Fred Klaassen and Alexander Roy also Scottish bowler Zainullah Ihsan.

Current squad

Team roster
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

Position Name
Owner & captainGlenn Maxwell
Co-ownerRohan Lund
Head coachTBA

Seasons

Summaries

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)

Tournament finishes

Year League standing Final standing
2026 3rd out of 6 Runners-up

Statistics

Year Played Wins Losses Tied/NR
2026 12 7 4 1

Notes

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

References

  1. ↑ "Belfast among first franchises for new European cricket T20 league". The Irish News. 21 January 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  2. 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.
  3. ↑ "Belfast among first franchise cities confirmed by European T20 Premier League". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  4. ↑ "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.
  5. ↑ "Belfast confirmed among first ETPL franchise cities". RTÉ Sport. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  6. ↑ "Waugh invests in European T20 Premier League". BBC Sport. 21 January 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  7. ↑ "Australian cricket legends Steve Waugh and Glenn Maxwell take ownership of T20 franchises overseas". 7NEWS. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  8. ↑ "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.
  9. ↑ "ETPL 2026 Draft: How Glenn Maxwell and his team shaped the 'Wolf Pack'". European T20 Premier League. 3 July 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  10. ↑ "Inaugural Euro T20 Slam cancelled at two weeks' notice". ESPN. 14 August 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  11. ↑ "Belfast among first franchises for new European cricket T20 league". The Irish News. 21 January 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  12. ↑ "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.
  13. ↑ "Inaugural edition of ETPL to start on August 26". Cricbuzz. 28 July 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  14. ↑ "European T20 franchise league to begin on August 26". Hindustan Times. 28 July 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  15. ↑ "Belfast's European T20 Premier League team taking shape with six players added after draft". Belfast News Letter. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  16. ↑ "From squads to schedule, here's all you need to know about the inaugural ETPL season". Wisden. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
  17. ↑ "Glenn Maxwell's 60 powers Belfast Wolves to commanding victory over Dublin Guardians". European T20 Premier League. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  18. ↑ "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.
  19. ↑ "Maxwell helps Belfast Wolves to opening ETPL win". BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  20. ↑ "Rain Brings Early End as Rotterdam Dockers and Belfast Wolves Share Points". Cricinfo. Retrieved 30 August 2026.
  21. ↑ "Five Overs of Fury as Belfast Wolves Get Past Amsterdam Flames". ETPL. Retrieved 30 August 2026.
  22. ↑ "Curran hat-trick and Smuts 98 headlines Castle Rockers' huge win vs Belfast Wolves". ETPL. Retrieved 2 September 2026.
  23. ↑ "Chapman's 71 Powers Wolves to Victory Over Cosmic". Cricinfo. Retrieved 5 September 2026.
  24. ↑ "Malahide Bound: The ETPL Enters Its Next Chapter". Cricinfo. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  25. ↑ "Young Leads Dublin to Landmark Win on Home Soil". etpl. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  26. ↑ "Belfast Wolves Clinch Crucial Victory in Malahide". etpl. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
  27. ↑ "Rotterdam Dockers Chase Down 162 vs Belfast to Move Within Two Points of League Leaders Edinburgh". ETPL. Retrieved 13 September 2026.
  28. ↑ "Wolves deliver commanding win to move into second". ETPL. Retrieved 14 September 2026.
  29. ↑ "Maxwell's Fireworks Keep Belfast Wolves' Qualification Hopes Alive". ETPL. Retrieved 18 September 2026.
  30. ↑ "Glenn Maxwell Leads Belfast Wolves into ETPL Final with Seven-Wicket Qualifier Win". ETPL. Retrieved 20 September 2026.
  31. ↑ "Glenn Maxwell leads by example as captain fires Belfast Wolves into inaugural European T20 Premier League final". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
  32. ↑ Dutta, Soumyajit (2 July 2026). "ETPL 2026 Player Draft: Top Picks, Salaries, Teams, Full Squads Revealed". CREX. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
  33. ↑ "ETPL Player Draft 2026: Six teams fill spots with local talents". European T20 Premier League. 2 July 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  34. ↑ "European T20 Premier League — Player Registration Circular" (Press release). Royal Dutch Cricket Association. 16 June 2026. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
  35. ↑ "ETPL Player Draft 2026: All You Need To Know". European T20 Premier League. 2 July 2026. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
  36. ↑ "ETPL 2026 Player Draft: Full Squads, Salaries & Draft Picks". SportsPinch. 7 July 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  37. ↑ "European T20 Premier League, 2026 – Stats and Records". Cricinfo.