News

DUBLIN – The Board of Cricket Ireland has been briefed on the progress of the Euro T20 Slam, and a range of other strategic matters, at its most recent Board Meeting held at Ballymascanlon Hotel in Dundalk.
Chief Executive Warren Deutrom updated the Board on the progress of the proposed new competition. He said:

“We firmly believe in the concept of a T20 franchise competition across the three nations and continue to work towards the goal of bringing the event to fruition. In 2019, we made a prudent decision to enforce a postponement of the tournament in order to give the organisers and funders of the competition the best chance of delivering on a successful inaugural season in 2020. We still believe this was the right course of action for the good of the players, suppliers, funders and the three governing bodies involved.”

“We are still in discussions with our Scottish and Dutch partners, as well as the organisers, and have identified a gap in our playing schedule in 2020 that suits all three nations. However, as per 2019, we shall only proceed if we’re comfortable the event has a sustainable future. There is always risk involved in getting new ventures off the ground, but we shall continue to work hard to put in place a model that can deliver a sustainable event cricket-wise and financially. We want this to work, we believe it’s a strong idea, we just need to be sure the foundations for it are strong.”

Further outcomes from the Board Meeting included:

– The Board has endorsed the development of the next Strategic Plan for Cricket Ireland, to cover the period 2021-2023. The current Strategic Plan expires in 2020 and the Board is keen to develop a Plan that synchronises with the ICC Full Member funding cycle, now that the organisation is a Full Member. This will allow Cricket Ireland to plan with a greater level of understanding of the finances and resources available to support delivery of the plan. Kotinos Partners has been appointed the consultants to develop the plan, with the highly-experienced Brian MacNeice to lead the work. A project Steering Committee will be established shortly, involving representation from the Provincial Unions, with work set to start immediately.

– The Board was also updated on the development of an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy for Cricket Ireland, which will come to the Board for approval at the next meeting, and the draft Girls & Women’s Cricket Strategy – which is almost completed – will be folded into the wider Strategic Plan work to ensure that the aims outlined are central to the wider strategic objectives of Cricket Ireland rather than seen as a separate piece of work disconnected from the Strategic Plan.

– The Board acknowledged the outstanding 40-year involvement of Miriam Grealey, as she stepped down from her final ‘formal’ role with Cricket Ireland in February. Richard Holdsworth, Performance Director for Cricket Ireland said in his report: “Miriam is a true legend of the Irish game; her passion for cricket, her experience and her insights have helped in the development of generations of Irish cricketers. Throughout the many roles she has undertaken, Miriam has been a role model for many, and an ambassador for all. While we will miss her contributions at an official level, she will undoubtedly continue to be a regular supporter of our national sides, and an advocate for the women’s game in this country.”

Further announcements from the Board Meeting will be made shortly.

In other news, as confirmed this morning, the Cricket Association of Thailand (CAT) has today called off the upcoming women’s series featuring Ireland. A spokesperson said:

“The Women’s Quadrangular 50-over Series that was scheduled to be played between Thailand, Ireland, Netherlands and Zimbabwe in Chiang Mai from 3rd to 11th April has been called off because of concerns over the impact of COVID-19 in Thailand and across the world.”

“The competition had been arranged as a warm-up event for four teams who will be playing in the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier in Sri Lanka in July but the CAT have taken the decision to cancel in the interests of player safety after ongoing discussions with the relevant medical authorities and the Sports Authority of Thailand.”

Richard Holdsworth, Performance Director for Cricket Ireland, said:

“While disappointing from a cricket perspective, the health and safety of players, staff and travelling fans is paramount, and we readily agreed with the advice from Thailand. It’s an important few months for the women’s team in the lead up to the World Cup Qualifier, so we will be working on a replacement set of fixtures in an alternate location to ensure the women are as prepared for this tournament.”

Cricket Ireland will provide an update on women’s international fixtures in due course.

Craig Easdown
No
Connaught