Asa Tribe has rejoined Jersey's squad for the first time since last summer, with the island side aiming to stay on course for the Cricket World Cup, the BBC reports. The 22-year-old Glamorgan and England Lions batter told BBC Radio Jersey he is "absolutely delighted" to be back in a Jersey shirt. Jersey lead their six-team pool in ICC Challenge League A and need two more victories to secure a place at the 2026 Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-off in Nepal in December.
Why it matters
Jersey are within reach of the next stage of the road to the World Cup, and Tribe's return adds a player who has already produced two of the side's most important recent performances. According to the BBC, his last appearances for Jersey came in the previous round of Challenge League A fixtures last summer, when he made 175 in a 160-run win over Papua New Guinea and then an unbeaten 53 in an eight-wicket win over Qatar.
That 175 stands as a record individual score in the ICC Challenge League, and Tribe told the BBC it remains a favourite. He said the team needed someone to take responsibility in that game, with the ball doing a bit while Jersey batted first, and that his innings gave the side a strong platform.
A rapid rise in English cricket
Tribe's path back to the island side has been shaped by a steep climb in the English domestic game. The BBC reports that his 175 against Papua New Guinea was his third List A century in a week, following two for Glamorgan, and that run of form led to a call-up to the England Lions squad that winter. He is set to tour the Caribbean with the Lions next month.
Since then he has played franchise cricket in South Africa and Canada and appeared for Welsh Fire in The Hundred. He has also become an important member of a Glamorgan side that retained its Division One status in the County Championship this year, having won promotion in 2025 after 20 years in the second tier.
Tribe made his international debut for Jersey as a 17-year-old five years ago. He told BBC Radio Jersey that his recent games for the island were successful for both him and the team, and that he enjoys delivering those performances because he understands what they can lead to for the side.
England ambitions and the Jersey balance
The batter was direct with the BBC about his long-term goal. He described playing for England as a huge ambition, said the Lions experience had given him a small taste of that level, and added that he wants to keep improving and pushing towards the next stage of his career.
He also acknowledged the difficulty of breaking into a strong England side, saying it is not somewhere he will simply walk into. He said he has to be hard and cut-throat in assessing his own game — how good it is, where he can improve, which areas need work, and how he would be ready to take an opportunity if one came.
The BBC notes that Tribe would not be the first player from an associate nation to be called up by England. Emilio Gay, part of the Italy side that beat Jersey to a place at this year's T20 World Cup in last summer's European qualifying tournament, was selected by England for their first Test against New Zealand in June. A full England call-up would end Tribe's Jersey career, though he said he hopes to help the island climb the rankings in the meantime.
On the current campaign, Tribe told the BBC that Jersey are in a strong position, needing only two or three wins rather than facing the pressure of must-win games from the start of the tournament. He said he hopes the side finish the job and can then look towards December, where a place at the Qualifier Play-off — and potentially ODI status and more World Cup fixtures — would be at stake.
Jersey's recent form offers further encouragement. The BBC reported that the island side beat Uganda 'A' twice ahead of the Challenge League campaign.
Next up is the final stage of Challenge League A, where Jersey need two wins to confirm their place in Nepal in December.
