- June 28, 2026
India’s Belfast Blues, Ireland’s Finest Hour: Brian MacNeice On Beating The World’s Best | Exclusive
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Ireland’s win over India marks a turning point, says Brian MacNeice to News18 Cricketnext, inspiring belief across teams and boosting momentum ahead of the ETPL.
Jai Moondra celebrates with team-mates after bowling out India’s Sanju Samson (Picture credit: AP)
June 26, 2026, Belfast. 19th over in India’s limping chase of 183 against Ireland. Matthew Humphreys fires it in full, Arshdeep swings, but it is mistimed. The ball hangs, hearts stop.
Tim Tector, stationed at long-on, settles beneath it and clasps on. India are bowled out for 148 and Ireland are in a moment that will echo for years.
While the Irish men were scripting history in Belfast on Friday, 429 miles away in Bristol, the women’s team was glued to a screen, watching it unfold ball by ball. Gaby Lewis and her players erupted into cheers and high fives as the moment sank in.
Already out of the T20 World Cup in the UK, they found something they needed before their final group-stage game against the West Indies. Inspiration had come from home and history was scripted, again, at Bristol’s County Ground.
Friday was historic for Ireland, a team that has Test status but is still striving to find its footing in international cricket. Beyond a memorable beginning to Lorcan Tucker’s captaincy career, a first-ever victory against three-time world champions India was a statement that underlined the growing depth within Irish cricket, as well as the broader rise of the European game.
And who would be prouder than Cricket Ireland chair Brian MacNeice? In an exclusive conversation with News18 Cricketnext, he was all praise for the team that defied the odds and multiple injury concerns with a performance for the ages.
“It’s a very significant victory. It’s the first time that we’ve beaten India and that’s a major, major milestone,” said MacNeice. “India are the best team in the world, and so to be able to beat the best team in the world in a very competitive fixture, and in particular in the context where we have six or seven of our frontline players injured, it was a real boost to the players, to the coaches and to everybody involved in the game in Ireland. So yeah, it was a really special day.”
For years, Ireland have flirted with giant-killers, memorably against the likes of England, West Indies and Pakistan. However, this win felt different.
“I think what it does prove is that on any given day, any of the top countries and indeed some of the better associate countries are capable of going toe to toe with the best in the world,” he said. “We saw that in the last T20 World Cup as well. And in particular, I think what it is showing is that the game is growing very rapidly in Europe.”
With the changing cricket landscape, that growth is no longer confined to Ireland alone. Scotland, the Netherlands and even emerging teams like Italy are contributing to a wider European surge.
At the heart of that vision lies the European T20 Premier League (ETPL), a project that aims to transform the game in the region.
“That’s why I, along with the founders of the ETPL, the European T20 Premier League, have been working so hard to develop the franchise league so that we allow our players to expose themselves to playing more often against the best in the world,” he explained.
The timing of Ireland’s win couldn’t have been better. With eyes on the inaugural ETPL season, the Irish Cricket is hoping for a great beginning.
“Obviously, a day like yesterday really helps,” he admitted. “You’ve got a full house, the sun was shining, it was a wonderful day of cricket and it showed that the players are top-class, world-class players. I could sense the excitement and buzz about the European T20 Premier League coming as well.”
However, opportunities at the international level remain crucial for Ireland. Bilateral series, often limited to just two matches, restrict the exposure needed for sustained growth.
“I’d love to see that. That’s exactly what we would like to see,” he said when asked about longer series. “Of course, I’d love it to be a three-match or five-match series, but I fully understand why on this occasion it’s a two-match series.”
“I’m hugely appreciative of the BCCI for facilitating these games. They’ve shown over the years that they are really committed to supporting the lower-ranked full-member nations. It’s not easy given their schedule, but they understand how important it is for the development of the game globally.”
That ambition extends beyond the men’s team and beyond the immediate moment. The vision spans both genders, domestic structures and continental growth.
“I think success in five years would be our men’s and women’s teams consistently qualifying for ICC events and being competitive when they get there,” he said. “Secondly, a system that allows us to continue to develop and grow our players. And thirdly, Ireland is part of a growing cricketing ecosystem across Europe.”
“I fundamentally believe in the potential,” he added. “In the next decade, you’ll see massive increases in participation, huge improvements in the quality of players, and stronger competition across Europe. That’s what we’re working towards.”
What the Irishmen achieved was simply exceptional. It breathed new life into the country’s cricketing ecosystem and carried across to Gaby Lewis’s side, who rode that wave to defeat West Indies on Saturday and claim their first-ever Women’s T20 World Cup victory.
The past few days have felt momentous for Irish cricket, but it’s just a beginning rather than a peak. There is still ground to cover, standards to raise and most importantly, consistency to build.
With the ETPL on the horizon, Irish cricket is preparing for what comes next.
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A cricket enthusiast whose dreams of playing for India paved the way for a compelling journey in journalism. With a comprehensive coverage spanning international and domestic cricket across formats, I…Read More
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