Asa Tribe returns for Jersey as Glamorgan star backs World Cup push

Glamorgan and England Lions batter Asa Tribe says he is "absolutely delighted" to be returning to play for Jersey as the island side aims to keep their Cricket World Cup hopes alive.

The 22-year-old has not played for his homeland since the summer of 2025 after a rapid rise in English domestic cricket, but he has rejoined the squad for the decisive stage of ICC Challenge League A.

World Cup qualification within reach

Jersey top the six-team pool and need just two more wins to ensure progression to the 2026 Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-off in Nepal in December.

"I've had a bit of a busy last 12 months and I'm happy to be playing for Jersey again," Tribe told BBC Radio Jersey. "The last couple of times that I was in a Jersey shirt were successful for myself and the team."

"I really enjoy putting those kind of performances in for Jersey because I know what it means for the side in the sense of what it can go towards and how we can progress as a side."

Record-breaking form for the island

Tribe made his international debut for Jersey as a 17-year-old five years ago and his last outings came in last summer's Challenge League A fixtures.

He scored 175 in a 160-run win over Papua New Guinea before hitting an unbeaten 53 in an eight-wicket win over Qatar. The 175 is the highest score made in an ICC Challenge League match and a record score for an individual batter in the competition.

"That one is quite close to my heart," Tribe said of the 175 against Papua New Guinea. "That was one of the games where we needed someone to stand up, there was a bit going on with the ball, we were batting first on one that was doing a little bit and I feel that knock set that game up really nicely."

The knock was his third List A century in the space of a week after scoring two for Glamorgan, a run that helped earn him a call-up to the England Lions squad for the winter and a forthcoming Caribbean tour.

England ambition alongside Jersey duty

Tribe has since played franchise cricket in South Africa and Canada and with Welsh Fire in The Hundred, and has become a key part of the Glamorgan side that kept their Division One status in the County Championship this year after winning promotion in 2025 following 20 years in the second tier.

"It's a huge ambition of mine," he said of an England call-up. "I have had a small taste for it in the Lions stuff and I really want to make that stride to keep going and keep getting better and keep pushing for the next stage in my career, which I hope is England."

"The side's very strong so it's not something that I'm just going to walk into. It does mean really being hard and cut-throat about where my game actually is. How good is it? How do I get better? What areas do I need to work on? What's going to give me the best chance to move up to that level?"

"If it's such a competitive environment then how, if I do get an opportunity, am I going to be ready to take it straight away? So what challenges will I face there? That's something I'm constantly looking at and trying to find the balance between getting better whilst also nailing down my current strengths."

Path from associate to England

Tribe would not be the first player from an associate nation to be called up by England. Emilio Gay was part of the Italy side that pipped Jersey to a place at this year's T20 World Cup in last summer's European qualifying tournament. The Durham batter was called up by England for their first Test against New Zealand in June.

While an England call-up would spell the end of his Jersey career, Tribe is hopeful he can help the island rise up the ranks now.

"I think the position we're in for this tournament is a really good one," he said. "Only really requiring to win two or three games is a position you'd love to be in rather than at the start of the tournament where you're thinking about needing to win every game."

"I think this tournament should be really good for us. Hopefully we get the job done here and we can look ahead to December and really stake a claim for some ODI status and potentially some more World Cup fixtures."