Birmingham Phoenix 2026: Full Squad, New Signings & The Hundred Fixtures

Birmingham Phoenix 2026: full squad, new signings, and their Hundred fixtures

By Duane Martin· Cricket Daily

Birmingham Phoenix kept their name in 2026, but almost everything around it has changed. The franchise now sits under new ownership, with the Tom Brady-backed Knighthead Capital, owners of Birmingham City, alongside Warwickshire, and even Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham holding a small stake.

On the field, young England all-rounder Jacob Bethell leads the side, former New Zealand quick Shane Bond has come in as head coach, and the squad carries an international flavour with Pakistan's Usman Tariq and Bangladesh's Mustafizur Rahman among the additions.

Here is the full squad, the new arrivals, and every fixture Birmingham Phoenix play this summer.

When do Birmingham Phoenix start their Hundred 2026 campaign?

The tournament runs from July 21 to August 16, 2026, with the eliminator at the Kia Oval on August 14 and the final at Lord's on August 16. Phoenix open at home against Trent Rockets at Edgbaston on Friday, July 24, and close the group stage at home against reigning champions MI London on Wednesday, August 12.

Who are Birmingham Phoenix's new signings for 2026?

Jacob Bethell was retained and captains the side, with Rehan Ahmed, Mitchell Owen and Donovan Ferreira brought in as direct signings. The auction added Pakistan spinner Usman Tariq and Bangladesh seamer Mustafizur Rahman, among others. Shane Bond is the new head coach, and the franchise now has new co-owners in Knighthead Capital Management.

The new signings, explained

The biggest change at Birmingham Phoenix is off the pitch. As part of The Hundred's investment process, Warwickshire retained a majority stake while Knighthead Capital Management, the American firm that owns Birmingham City and counts NFL great Tom Brady among its backers, bought in as co-owners and took operational control in October 2025. In April 2026, Birmingham-raised footballer Jude Bellingham added a small minority stake, focused mainly on community work.

That fresh energy carried into recruitment. Jacob Bethell, one of England's brightest young talents, was the standout retention and takes the captaincy. Rehan Ahmed joined as a leg-spinning all-rounder, Australian Mitchell Owen brings top-order power, and South Africa's Donovan Ferreira adds a hard-hitting keeper-batter option.

At the auction, Phoenix leaned into variety. Pakistan mystery spinner Usman Tariq and Bangladesh left-arm seamer Mustafizur Rahman give the attack international bite, alongside England pacer Saqib Mahmood and batting depth in Will Smeed, Joe Clarke and Laurie Evans.

Shane Bond, one of the most respected fast-bowling coaches in franchise cricket with spells across the IPL, BBL and SA20, takes charge for the first time. Birmingham Phoenix have never won the men's title, reaching the final in 2021, so there is a clear target for this new-look group.

Birmingham Phoenix full squad 2026

Batters

• Will Smeed
• Laurie Evans
• Matthew Montgomery
• Sean Dickson

All-rounders

• Mitchell Owen
• Jacob Bethell (captain)
• Rehan Ahmed
• Jordan Thompson
• Scott Currie

Wicketkeepers

• Donovan Ferreira
• Joe Clarke

Bowlers

• Saqib Mahmood
• Usman Tariq
• Chris Wood
• Mustafizur Rahman
• Tom Helm

That is a squad with plenty of top-order firepower in Smeed, Owen, Clarke and Ferreira, all-round balance through Bethell and Rehan Ahmed, and a varied attack led by Mahmood, Mustafizur and the spin of Usman Tariq.

Birmingham Phoenix fixtures: The Hundred 2026

Every team plays eight group games, meeting six sides once and their local rivals twice. For Phoenix, that repeat fixture is Trent Rockets, whom they face home and away. Four of their eight games are at Edgbaston. Times below are local UK time (BST), which applies at every ground, alongside IST for readers following from the subcontinent.

For fans in India and Pakistan, the two weekend afternoon games are the pick, with the July 26 trip to Manchester and the August 1 home clash with Welsh Fire both starting at 7:00 PM IST. The rest are late-night watches around 11:00 PM IST.

Where to watch and what's at stake

In the UK, Sky Sports is the home of The Hundred with every match live. The BBC carries all games live on BBC Sounds, shows 16 matches live on BBC TV, and posts highlights on BBC iPlayer and its sport site.

The men's and women's sides that finish top of their group tables go straight to the final at Lord's on August 16. The teams placed second and third meet in the eliminator at the Kia Oval on August 14 to decide who joins them.

With Bethell leading a young, aggressive core and an attack built for wicket-taking, Birmingham Phoenix have the tools to trouble anyone, especially in front of a big Edgbaston crowd. Their campaign begins at home to Trent Rockets on July 24.

Quick links

• The Hundred's News
• The Hundred's Matches
• The Hundred's Table
• Birmingham Phoenix's Schedule Download PDF

For live scores, ticket links, and the rest of the tournament, keep it locked to Cricket Daily through the season.