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 Players with international caps are listed in bold.
+ Team rosterNo.NameBatting styleBowling styleYear signedNotesBattersTim TectorRight-handed2026David MillerLeft-handed2026All-roundersGlenn Maxwell (c)Right-handedRight-arm off break2026CaptainPaul StirlingLeft-handedRight-arm off break2026Mark AdairRight-handedRight-arm fast-medium2026Harry ManentiRight-handedRight-arm off break2026Alexander RoyRight-handed2026Mark ChapmanLeft-handedSlow left-arm orthodox2026Wicket-keepersLorcan Tucker (wk)Left-handed2026Devon Conway (wk)Left-handed2026BowlersGavin HoeyRight-handedLeg break2026Fred KlaassenLeft-handedLeft-arm medium-fast2026Matthew HumphreysLeft-handedSlow left-arm orthodox2026Crishan KalugamageRight-handedRight-arm medium-fast2026Saurabh NetravalkarLeft-handedLeft-arm medium-fast2026Chris JordanRight-handedRight-arm fast2026Zainullah IhsanRight-handedRight-arm medium2026
Administration and support staff PositionName Owner & captain Glenn Maxwell Co-owner Rohan Lund Head coach TBA
Seasons Summaries Season Finals Coach Captain Most runs Most Wickets Refs 20266–33rdRUKevin O'BrienGlen MaxwellMark Chapman (283)Matthew Humphreys (15)
Tournament finishes YearLeague standing Final standing 20263rd out of 6Runners-up C: Champions RU: Runner-up SF: Team qualified for the semi-final stage of the competition
Statistics Year Played Wins Losses Tied/NR 202612741
Notes
References
External links
Team home at Cricinfo