Farewell 2024 - Irish cricket's year in review

The good, bad, ugly (and very ugly) of an eventful calendar year

Ireland celebrate a series win over Sri Lanka. 📸: Cricket Ireland

2024 has been a year.

Picking an adjective to add to that sentence is a fool’s errand. Given the propensity for things to go wrong in a fledgling professional sport, there is never a dull moment when it comes to Irish cricket. Even with that caveat, the events of 2024 will live long in the memory.

On the pitch, there were historic men’s Test match victories and women’s scalps over higher ranked nations. There was also a historically poor men’s World Cup campaign coupled with an equally disappointing women’s qualification attempt.

Off the pitch, Cricket Ireland finally secured a government guarantee of a timeline for a stadium in Abbotstown and started boosting the coffers of the club game once again. Yet governance issues were never far away, with fixture cuts, company cars, board appointments and player contracts creating a litany of uncomfortable headlines.

Some things have gone right and plenty have gone wrong. Deriving one overriding narrative to sum up the year, to give an impression of where the sport sits - positive or negative - remains frighteningly difficult. Thankfully, enough of you pay a subscription fee to dictate that some sort of attempt is made.

Ireland men

Starting with events on the pitch. Chronologically, the first action of the year was the historic maiden men’s Test victory in March.

Afghanistan were supposed to host Ireland at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi - a ground which in turn became Ireland’s home venue later in the year against South Africa. Only a major school sports day shifted the international athletes to a smaller ground next door. The Tolerance Oval did at least provide some irony, given Afghanistan’s history of women’s cricket in recent years.

Ireland spent months preparing for this Test match, particularly the bowlers. A specialist outdoor camp was held in Spain to master red ball lengths. The skills of the Irish seam attack shone on day one as Afghanistan were bowled out for 155. Later on in the match, the lack of threat provided by spinners Andy McBrine and Theo van Woerkom threatened to derail proceedings.

Ireland hung on. Mark Adair took three second innings wickets to go with an earlier fiver-for. Barry McCarthy also took three, as did Craig Young. Andrew Balbirnie hit an unbeaten half-century to guide his side home.

That wasn’t Ireland’s only Test victory of the year. PJ Moor came into his own against the country of his birth, hitting a half-century against Zimbabwe at Stormont in July. McBrine fared much better on home soil, taking seven wickets in the match while hitting an unbeaten half-century to secure the win. Ireland only played two Test matches in 2024 but were the only nation to win every Test they played (tongue rooted firmly in cheek).

The crowd figures in Stormont were low. The Zimbabwe Test wasn’t broadcast on television. The former ICC chairman expressed a view that Ireland shouldn’t play Test cricket. Yet for all those negatives, enough people felt warm and fuzzy inside about a pair of red ball victories. Given the uncertain landscape, we don’t know how many more there will be.

Ireland celebrate beating Zimbabwe in Stormont. 📸: Cricket Ireland

On the white ball front, Ireland went into June’s T20 World Cup in America as well prepared as they ever had been for an ICC event. In the build-up, they beat Pakistan once (going on to lose the series 2-1, Graham Hume’s pair of calamitous drops sticking out as a high/lowlight) while going unbeaten in a tri-series against Scotland and the Dutch. The previous death bowling woes looked on the up. Lorcan Tucker was back approaching his 2022 World Cup best after a 12-month lean patch. Heading to New York, hopes were high.

Then Ireland fell foul of the ICC’s ineptitude. Whatever about being screwed around by a late hotel change which necessitated 90-minute bus journeys just to have a net, Ireland secured the death sentence of batting first on a landmine New York pitch against Jasprit Bumrah and co. That went about as well as expected. Fast forward through a poor bowling display against Canada and a washout vs the USA and Ireland were on their way home. Pakistan beat them in a low-scoring game in Florida to round off a dreary trip.

Under Heinrich Malan, Ireland were supposed to have become a well-run T20 outfit. The clever plans which were a hallmark of the bowling unit disappeared against Canada. The new positive batting approach was rendered inept by a dangerous New York pitch and a soggy Florida one. Ireland’s powers of adaptability were poor, but no one was expecting the ICC to provide such a substandard event.

That was June. The Zimbabwe Test was over a month later in July. Not until September did the men play again. ‘Hosting’ South Africa in the UAE, they lost both T20 and ODI series. There was, at least, Ross Adair’s stunning T20 century. He wasn’t even supposed to be playing. Tucker was pencilled to open the batting with Balbirnie dumped out of the short form XI. The day before the game, he suffered concussion in the nets when hit on the helmet. Up stepped Adair. Talk about timing.

Ireland lost the toss twice and had to bat under lights in the ODIs. When they eventually won the coin flip, they made the best of conditions, salvaging one win in a 2-1 scoreline.

During that final ODI in October, a player could be heard on stump mic saying that once the final wicket went, the players would have four months off. So it proved, with no men’s fixtures taking place until the unconfirmed tour of Zimbabwe in February.

A good year overall for the men? For pure romance, the Test victories are difficult to look past. They mean everything and nothing at the same time. Financially, Ireland got no reward. They’re not in the World Test Championship. The disaster that was the World Cup was incredibly damaging to both confidence and Ireland’s prospects of playing more cricket (and the players’ ability to earn match fees and greater franchise exposure).

The white ball games against South Africa were fine in that a handful of wins were secured, albeit against a largely second string outfit. They also came in conditions where whoever won the toss won the game. We didn’t learn much about how this team will go about trying to peak for the 2026 T20 World Cup or 2027 ODI World Cup qualifiers.

Results were fine, bordering on good. What’s going on beneath the surface, though, brings down the positive reading. Ireland’s seam attack when Josh Little is away on the franchise circuit has an average age of age 32. Adair is 28, McCarthy 32, Young 34 and Hume 34. What happens if one or more of those break down/retire in the next year? 2024 showed us how Ireland continues to struggle when it comes to developing fast bowlers.

The spin attack similarly lacks quality, though there were at least the promising emergence of Matthew Humphreys and Gavin Hoey. Ireland also lacks opening depth with Balbirnie and Paul Stirling, both closer to 35 than 30, offering no guarantee of making it to 2027 (Balbirnie is already out of the T20 team).

What’s coming next? It’s difficult to say. There is still a crippling inability to give players game time between U19 and international cricket. The interpros have taken a step back both in standard and player buy-in.

There are difficulties in the working relationships between senior coaches and those with knowledge of players coming through the ranks. The collaboration required to take a punt on young talent - as previous coach Graham Ford did with the likes of Harry Tector, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany and Josh Little - is not where it needs to be. New head of high performance Graham West has had a lot occupying his in-tray since he started his job in October. Figuring out the future of this men’s team is up there towards the top of the pile.

The individual skills of 12/13 players has taken Ireland to a place where they will always win a game or two and have a chance of World Cup qualification. Given the current age profile of the current squad, it could be a challenge continuing to paper over cracks heading into World Cups in 2026 and 2027.

Ireland women

If the foundations of the men’s side are shaky, what then to make of the women’s game which is only three years into professionalism?

That Ireland are in the position in which they currently find themselves is a testament to clubs for producing sufficient talent despite historical neglect, the senior coaching staff for polishing a handful of diamonds, and of course the players themselves. It’s not that long ago that Ireland travelled to Zimbabwe and were losing matches. In January 2024, they played eight games in the African nation and were only denied a clean sweep by a draw in a chaotic final over.

Despite having a series against the Netherlands cancelled because of the failure to qualify for this year’s T20 World Cup (more on that later), Ireland still played enough games to build positive storylines. They split a T20 series with Sri Lanka, the Asia Cup champions, and beat them 2-1 in the ODIs. They beat England for the first time in over 20 years, taking a scalp apiece in the ODI and T20 series. That T20 win came on terrestrial television, another historic first.

The end of the home summer also brought the end of Laura Delany’s time as captain. She was replaced by Gaby Lewis in a decision which probably did have merit. Delany had been in charge for eight years and the powers that be wanted to allow Lewis the winter schedule to bed in before next year’s ODI World Cup qualifier. Still, the way the move (sacking, if inclined to label it thus), was handled, was not ideal. The player had just come back from a serious ankle injury and was on holiday when attempts to communicate the decision were made.

Lewis’ first series as full-time captain was a bit of a shocker. Ireland were uncompetitive in a 3-0 ODI defeat to Bangladesh. The side responded impressively to reverse that scoreline in their favour, going undefeated in the T20 portion of the tour.

This is still a flawed team that, for all the improvement of Leah Paul this year, still relies on Lewis, Amy Hunter and Orla Prendergast for most of their runs. They have two young spinners who looked off the pace of top level cricket in Bangladesh. They do at least have plenty of seam bowling depth, if a lack of pace apart from Prendergast.

There is still a propensity for a contagious dropped-catch disease to spread when the pressure comes on. Batting collapses, of the kind which cost them a World Cup spot when they lost to Scotland early in the year, only ever feel just around the corner. In reality, Ireland are only an injury to Lewis or Prendergast away from looking incapable of competing at an ICC qualifying event net year.

Yet the fact that, despite all these misgivings, an Irish woman (Prendergast) was nominated for T20I player of the year is staggering. That Ireland won eight games against Sri Lanka, England and Bangladesh renders this a historic year. There have been enough good performances that hopes are high for ODI World Cup qualification. This women’s side has had an astonishing rise, it is one of Cricket Ireland’s major success stories.

Ireland captain Gaby Lewis. 📸: Cricket Ireland

There is a sense that Ed Joyce, current head coach, deserves plenty of credit given his role as the de facto head of women’s cricket. It should be said, though, that efforts to diversify responsibility were made this year. Glen Querl, current bowling coach, has led the senior and U19 sides on tours. Davy Scanlon has taken on head coaching roles with the newly-formed Emerging Ireland side. Both in terms of coaching and administration staff, Joyce has surrounded himself and his players with good people.

All of which leaves the concern that this is preparation for an exit. Joyce’s contract expires after January’s tour of India. He has been in situ for five years, a long time in any coaching job. By ensuring no one man is responsible for all the positive developments, it becomes easier for the figure at the top to step aside, should he wish.

Cricket Ireland figures have made it clear that the ball is in Joyce’s court. If he wants to continue, if he doesn’t feel that a fresh voice would be more beneficial than his own, the job remains in his possession. In any case, it seems inconceivable that Ireland will go into an ODI World Cup qualifier, set for spring/early summer 2025, with someone new in charge. Perhaps the future of Ireland’s head coach will depend on the success or otherwise of that campaign.

Sorting out what happens at least for the qualifiers, and then beyond, can also be added to the top of West’s to-do list.

Governance

Where to start?

Off the pitch, this is probably the most memorable year for Cricket Ireland since 2019, when Warren Deutrom personally lent a six figure sum to keep the organisation afloat.

Publicly at least, this year’s chaos all started in March when, while discussing the Test win over Afghanistan, Richard Holdsworth dropped a bombshell concerning Ireland’s summer schedule. Speaking to Cricinfo, Holdsworth, the now former head of high performance, suggested the much anticipated visit of ODI world champions Australia may not take place due to financial issues. Nothing definitive was announced. Deutrom later labelled Holdsworth’s quotes as both “unattributed” and “unauthorised.”

The Irish Times then reported that not only was the Australia series off, but the visit of South Africa would take place not in Ireland, nor in England (where Bangladesh were hosted in 2023), but the UAE. The Euro Slam (or the artist formerly known as such), which has been on the planned fixture list every year since 2018, would also not take place.

The financial pressure came from CI planning for something which didn’t ultimately happen. Some within the organisation are of the opinion that they got done over by the ICC. The suits in Dubai, one would imagine, would disagree. The intricacies of the problem have been explained at length elsewhere on this site. The money which the ICC holds back for later in the funding cycle (closer to 2027), which CI is going to get at some point anyway, was not released this year despite CI’s wishes. The governing body also got a higher-than-planned bill for hosting men’s matches in the UAE later on in 2024.

Shortly after Holdsworth’s comments, news emerged that two new company Teslas had been purchased for the use of both Deutrom and Chief Financial Officer Andrew May. While CI defended themselves, essentially saying that they got a good deal, the optics of this brand of car so soon after strangely announced fixture cuts was not good. The statement defending the Teslas came across as unnecessarily arrogant and placed a significant amount of faith in a volatile second hand electric car market. Perturbed stakeholders started circulating news articles on the falling value of used electric vehicles.

All of this took place as players continued to negotiate central contracts for 2024 which were not agreed prior to the expiration of the original 2023 agreements. The previous year’s deals were extended indefinitely so players could still be paid and play with medical protection. Knowing that a funding hike was coming from the ICC, players wanted pay rises after lean years during Covid. They also sought a revenue sharing agreement which tied their future earnings to a CI income stream which would be going up. The men’s side rejected a round of offers prior to playing Pakistan at home, although CI officials maintained that constituted usual negotiating tactics.

There was also the appointment of Dave Richardson, the former head of the ICC, to the CI board, which ruffled feathers. This was seen by some as Deutrom offering positions of influence to former colleagues. Others questioned the legitimacy of the CEO playing a role (Deutrom acknowledged making the initial phone call to Richardson) in putting forward candidates to sit on the board to which he himself is answerable. Subsequent documents emerged where the CI board, back in 2020, expressed a concern for the number of members who came from the personal and business network of the CEO. Procedures were put in place to ensure cases like this would not happen again.

Brian MacNeice, the most senior board member as chair, defended the move when asked why Richardson’s position wasn’t advertised. Technically, CI did not break any of their own rules. Yet the episode was another high profile case of the board’s power being undermined when it came to the CEO whom it oversees. When asked about the Teslas at this year’s AGM, MacNeice said that the board’s remunerations committee signed off on contracts, including company car agreements. Board members insisted they had no prior knowledge of the new Teslas and were displeased with any perception that they had given their approval. In the end, one of the cars was returned.

In the positive ledger, CI expressed a commitment to rebalance its spending with the grassroots firmly in mind. What the previously unbalanced position looked like was never fully explained, but most clubs would say they have been underfunded in recent years. The club fund, designed to assist grassroots project, was reinstated. CI figures have promised to increase the amount available in the coming years.

The biggest win of 2024 for CI undoubtedly was Abbotstown. In August, the government committed to building a 4,000 seater stadium by 2028. Provided all goes to plan, this was confirmation that a playing square will be in place in sufficient time to settle prior to hosting fixtures at the 2030 T20 World Cup.

Somewhat unfortunately, CI was blindsided by the government announcement. The press release had no contribution from CI figures. Quotes from Deutrom were sent out to journalists hours after the announcement, but nothing on CI’s public channels was published until the following day. The tag line, “#ICYMI” (In Case You Missed It), was ridiculed in some quarters as an acknowledgement of CI’s failure to secure an invitation to its own party. Figures within CI in all likelihood saw the loss of face as a small price to pay for what was likely the best piece of news this administration will ever receive.

When you list all that has taken place, in many ways it is remarkable that some staff are still in a job. As the most senior full-time figure, the buck for the chaos ultimately stops with Deutrom (as chairman, MacNeice is technically Deutrom’s boss but is not a full-time employee). He would argue, I’m sure, that the positive outweighs the headline negatives. In many ways, CI is lucky they don’t get more media attention, even though they have been known to complain to outlets about a lack of coverage. Given all that happened to their CEO this year, imagine if FAI employees turned up with Teslas?

It is almost a shame that 2024 will be remembered by most as the Tesla-Abbotstown year, with little in between. A new strategic plan and diversity initiative was introduced, highlighting the good work done by portions of CI, but these were never going to generate the same attention.

Which in many ways is a metaphor for Irish cricket as a whole. Both in governance and high performance, there are just about enough good people doing good things to paper over all the cracks. Some of the issues, primarily financial, are inevitable. Plenty more are caused by combinations of carelessness, negligence and in some cases sheer incompetence.

The presence of those who can be trusted with custodianship of our sport is both a comfort and a source of concern. Can they do enough to ensure that, in year two of increased ICC funding and now armed with greater sponsorship revenue, Irish cricket finally becomes a viable sport? Or are they just keeping the show on the road, delaying the inevitable car crash which may come when too many cracks appear even for the most valiant foot soldiers. Replacements won’t appear from the ether if Young and Stirling break down. The country is not awash with stellar candidates should Joyce step aside. With current funding proving insufficient to maintain all fixture commitments, what happens the value of global TV rights falls?

While there isn’t a whole lot which can be done in these doomsday scenarios, some factors with CI’s control have seen action. Despite the PR storm earlier this year, MacNeice has made the organisation more open to public and media scrutiny.

On the high performance side, Holdsworth is no longer in charge of decision making. No one senior CI has ever explicitly said ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to the question of if this move was a demotion. He remains employed by the organisation, albeit with less strategic responsibility. The man now with this power, West, deserves time before judgement is passed. The initial signs are that he is willing to listen to those working on the ground and keen to include them in solutions.

Yet for all that goodwill, the cracks will remain in 2025. The men’s tour of Zimbabwe, set for February, has still not been announced. This, in theory, is Zimbabwe’s responsibility to confirm given their position as hosts, but even the players themselves are in the dark, with some families holding off on booking trips due to the uncertainty.

The question is will the inevitable problems lead to the deep, deep fissures which came in 2024? If, this time next year we are still sat here talking about cuts and hardship, then existential questions surrounding the sport’s viability in this country will only get louder.

Irish cricket won’t become a world class, self-sufficient entity in 2025. But the powers that be can do a much better job of convincing us that they on the right track than they did in 2024.