T20 World Cup: Ireland beat United Arab Emirates in the opening T20 as World Cup preparations continue

Meanwhile, Richard Holdsworth has announced that he will step down from his position as Director of Cricket with the Irish Cricket Team.

Holdsworth first arrived at Cricket Ireland in 2011, spending 13 years as a high-performance manager before taking over as Director of Cricket two years ago.

During his tenure, Holdsworth played a key role in building and professionalizing Ireland’s elite cricket systems, including overseeing the development and implementation of central player contracts across the men’s and women’s programmes.

He was also pivotal in the transition from associate to full member of the ICC in 2017 with the Irish men achieving Test status in the same year, while supporting the reintroduction of the men’s inter-county domestic series and the women’s Super Series.

“I am extremely proud of what we have achieved together by working with a team of outstanding employees,” Holdsworth said.

“From our collective efforts to professionalize structures and support players at the highest level, to seeing Ireland compete with distinction on the world stage – it has been an honor to be part of this journey.

“Irish Cricket will soon welcome a new CEO, further marking the transition to the next stage of growth and strategic ambition for the organisation, and I wish Sarah [Keane, incoming CEO] The team continued to grow and succeed.”