Andy Devaney
as the game tips its cap
There are few things more British than a crisp list, a stiff cup of tea, and a nation quietly acknowledging the people who’ve put their shoulder to the wheel for years. The cricket New Year Honours have arrived for 2026, and the roll call spans the full wicket: World Cup pedigree, boardroom graft, county stewardship, charity work, and the unsung souls keeping the grassroots lights on when the rain’s horizontal.
Headlining the King’s New Year’s Honours List 2026 are Isa Guha, Barry O’Brien and Derek Brewer—three names that tell you something important about modern cricket: the game still reveres its history, but it’s increasingly rewarding those who push it forward beyond the boundary rope.
Isa Guha awarded MBE for inclusivity and cricket
Guha—former England star, broadcaster, and a two-time World Cup winner—receives an MBE for services to Inclusivity and Cricket. Since retiring from playing, she has become one of the sport’s most recognisable voices and also founded the charity Take Her Lead, aimed at increasing participation among women and girls.
That matters because cricket, for all its tradition and ceremony, is still learning how to look like the country that plays it. Guha’s honour reads as both a nod to past achievements and a marker of where the sport is heading: wider doors, broader pathways, and fewer barriers disguised as “that’s how it’s always been done”.
Barry O’Brien receives OBE after years of leadership and charity work
Former Glamorgan and ECB Chair Barry O’Brien receives an OBE for services to Sport and Charity. O’Brien is one of the UK’s leading corporate lawyers, and he brought that expertise to cricket when he became Chair of Glamorgan County Cricket Club in 2011.
He led the restructuring of the club’s debts and modernised governance—work that rarely makes highlight reels, but without it, you don’t get much of a game to highlight. O’Brien held the Glamorgan role until 2018, later joining the ECB Board, before standing down in 2023 to concentrate on his battle with Parkinson’s.
If Guha’s MBE reflects the sport’s future-facing social progress, O’Brien’s OBE is the reminder that cricket’s institutions only endure when someone is willing to do the hard, unglamorous, spreadsheet-heavy jobs properly.
Derek Brewer honoured for two decades shaping the domestic game
Derek Brewer receives an OBE for services to Cricket. Formerly Chief Executive of Nottinghamshire CCC and the MCC, Brewer has latterly worked as an Advisor to the ECB Board and has played a major role in the domestic game for over 20 years.
Domestic cricket can feel like the foundations of an old pavilion: rarely photographed, occasionally creaky, but absolutely everything rests on it. Brewer’s recognition is a salute to that long-haul stewardship—keeping counties competitive, relevant, and connected to the professional pathway.
MBEs for Bob Qureshi and Chris Swadkin
The cricket New Year Honours list goes well beyond the headline names. MBEs have also been awarded to Bob Qureshi and Chris Swadkin.
Qureshi—an entrepreneur and Trustee at Surrey Cricket Foundation—has been honoured for services to Business, Charity and Cricket. Swadkin, a former player at Kent who went on to become County Chair, has been honoured for services to Cricket and to Young People in South East London.
In plain terms: one helping to fund and grow the game’s community impact, the other investing time and leadership where it can change lives early—before talent and confidence have a chance to slip through the cracks.
British Empire Medals for grassroots champions
And then there’s the level of cricket where the scorebook is damp, the tea is heroic, and the square is maintained by people who probably should’ve been saints in another life.
Geoff Hastings—Founder of the Trueman R66T State School Cricket League—and Ron Pearson—Chair, Groundsman and Secretary at Gwersyllt Park Cricket Club—have been awarded British Empire Medals.
If you’ve ever wondered who keeps the game alive when no cameras are there, it’s people like this: organisers, mentors, grounds staff, committee members, and volunteers who treat “just one more job” as a lifestyle choice.
ECB Chair Richard Thompson pays tribute
ECB Chair Richard Thompson said: “It is always hugely gratifying to see individuals who have given so much to the game being honoured.
“Isa, Derek and Barry have contributed hugely to cricket, in different ways, and we are hugely grateful to them for the part they have played in supporting and driving the game forward.
“It is also so pleasing to see honours for individuals involved in the grassroots game. People like Bob, Chris, Geoff and Ron are the lifeblood of the game and they can be rightly proud to receive these honours.
“As a game, we are so lucky to have individuals that have given their lives to cricket. I’m delighted to be able to share our warmest thanks and our deepest congratulations to all of cricket’s New Year’s Honours recipients.”
What this honours list says about cricket in 2026
This year’s list feels like cricket taking a measured look in the mirror and saying: yes, we still value the old virtues—service, consistency, loyalty, and graft—but we also recognise that the game’s future depends on who gets to feel welcome, who gets to play, and who has the support to stay involved.
The cricket New Year Honours for 2026 are, at heart, a simple statement: if you commit your time to making cricket better—on TV, in boardrooms, in counties, in schools, or at a local square where the outfield has more character than grass—somebody noticed.
And in a sport that has always kept records, that’s about as fitting as it gets.
