Latest news with #CricketIreland
Belfast Telegraph
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Stormont in line for £1million funding boost to bring World Cup cricket to Belfast
The Northern Ireland Civil Service Sports Association (NICSSA) site will undergo significant changes as part of Phase 1 of a longer-term master plan aimed at redeveloping the site's sporting, health, and wellbeing facilities. The intention is to erect permanent seating at the ground, as well as broadcast facilities, which would allow top-level matches to be played there in five years' time, with Ireland already confirmed as co-hosts of the tournament alongside England, Wales and Scotland. Stormont has been the host of significant games down the years, including Ireland's victory over Zimbabwe last July. 'The NICSSA Sports Precinct is a fundamentally important venue for Irish cricket – it not only features one of our leading international grounds but provides crucial space for community and domestic representative cricket to take place,' commented Cricket Ireland chair Brian MacNeice. "The Stormont Cricket Ground holds a great fondness for Irish fans for the many international matches it has held over the years – most notably the Test Match last year against Zimbabwe. 'Numerous reports over the years have highlighted that there is a lack of quality training and playing facilities on the island of Ireland. We now have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make major in-roads into resolving these issues. 'The proposed redevelopment of the NICSSA facilities is a project that the Board is fully supportive of, and it has unanimously approved a £1 million strategic investment in Phase 1 of the development. 'If you consider this project, the new Stadium at Abbottstown and our direct support for facilities upgrade proposals at Bready and Malahide, we are demonstrating our resolve to tackle the facilities and infrastructure deficits in a substantial manner.' Also agreed at the board meeting was the creation of five new hybrid pitches, three that will be at Stormont and two in Lisburn, as well as high-quality indoor and outdoor training spaces for all levels of cricket.
Belfast Telegraph
17 hours ago
- Business
- Belfast Telegraph
Stormont cricket ground could stage T20 World Cup matches after £1million funding boost
The Northern Ireland Civil Service Sports Association (NICSSA) site will undergo significant changes as part of Phase 1 of a longer-term master plan aimed at redeveloping the site's sporting, health, and wellbeing facilities. The intention is to erect permanent seating at the ground, as well as broadcast facilities, which would allow top-level matches to be played there in five years' time, with Ireland already confirmed as co-hosts of the tournament alongside England, Wales and Scotland. Stormont has been the host of significant games down the years, including Ireland's victory over Zimbabwe last July. 'The NICSSA Sports Precinct is a fundamentally important venue for Irish cricket – it not only features one of our leading international grounds but provides crucial space for community and domestic representative cricket to take place,' commented Cricket Ireland chair Brian MacNeice. "The Stormont Cricket Ground holds a great fondness for Irish fans for the many international matches it has held over the years – most notably the Test Match last year against Zimbabwe. 'Numerous reports over the years have highlighted that there is a lack of quality training and playing facilities on the island of Ireland. We now have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make major in-roads into resolving these issues. 'The proposed redevelopment of the NICSSA facilities is a project that the Board is fully supportive of, and it has unanimously approved a £1 million strategic investment in Phase 1 of the development. 'If you consider this project, the new Stadium at Abbottstown and our direct support for facilities upgrade proposals at Bready and Malahide, we are demonstrating our resolve to tackle the facilities and infrastructure deficits in a substantial manner.' Also agreed at the board meeting was the creation of five new hybrid pitches, three that will be at Stormont and two in Lisburn, as well as high-quality indoor and outdoor training spaces for all levels of cricket. Additional spending has also been set aside to support men's cricket after the European T20 Premier League was deferred to 2026.
BBC News
18 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Stormont upgrade could deliver T20 World Cup matches
Cricket Ireland have confirmed a £1m investment to the Northern Ireland Civil Service Sports Association site in Belfast with the hope that the upgrades could deliver matches during the 2030 T20 World package is part of a joint venture that will help deliver phase one of the NICSSA's Future Master Plan with the hope to transform the Stormont venue into a fit-for-purpose ground with permanent infrastructure including seating and broadcast beat Zimbabwe in the first Test to be staged at Stormont in July. "The NICSSA Sports Precinct is a fundamentally important venue for Irish cricket, it not only features one of our leading international grounds but provides crucial space for community and domestic representative cricket to take place," said Brian MacNeice, Chair of Cricket Ireland."The Stormont Cricket Ground holds a great fondness for Irish fans for the many international matches it has held over the years – most notably the Test match last year against Zimbabwe."Numerous reports over the years have highlighted that there is a lack of quality training and playing facilities on the island of Ireland. We now have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make major in-roads into resolving these issues."Also planned are five new hybrid pitches - three at Stormont and two in Lisburn - with high-quality indoor and outdoor training spaces to help broaden widen cricket participation numbers, while also providing training and match facilities for international and domestic cricket. The plans sit alongside the Cricket in Ireland Strategic Plan 2024–2027 and the Cricket Ireland Facilities Strategy, with additional expenditure pledged to support men's cricket this season in order to offset the European T20 Premier League's deferral to 2026."If you consider this project, the new stadium at Abbottstown and our direct support for facilities upgrade proposals at Bready and Malahide, we are demonstrating our resolve to tackle the facilities and infrastructure deficits in a substantial manner," added MacNeice.
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- Business
- The Irish Sun
Cricket Ireland CEO Warren Deutrom steps down after almost 19 years in the role
CRICKET Ireland Chief Executive Officer Warren Deutrom has announced he will step down from the role at the end of August . Deutrom has been at the helm of Irish Cricket for almost 19 years since December 2006. Advertisement 2 Deutrom will fulfil his CEO duties until the end of August 2 The Englishman has overseen some of Irish cricket's greatest moments During his tenure, Ireland has grown in stature in world cricket and in 2017 was Warren has been in cricket administration for almost 30 years, including stints as head of events for both the International Cricket Council (ICC) and for the England and Wales Cricket Board. He sits on the ICC Chief Executives Committee and ICC Women's Cricket Committee, is the Chair of the European T20 Premier League. He was also a member of both the Irish Sport Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel and the Olympic Council of Ireland Disciplinary Panel, and is a former Board Director of both the Federation of Irish Sport and the European Cricket Council. Advertisement Read more on Irish sport After the board meeting where his resignation was formally advised, Warren Deutrom: "It's hard to explain my feelings since making this decision. "The role of Cricket Ireland CEO has covered more than a third of my life and two-thirds of my professional career. It has felt more like a vocation and a true labour of love than a mere job. 'The attainment of ICC Full Membership and Test status is the most significant achievement I'll look back on with pride – indeed, if the first decade of my role was about trying to achieve ICC Full Membership/Test status, the next decade has been about trying to live up to that privilege. "Today, with new ICC funding, with permanent infrastructure planned, a World Cup to co-host, a central contracts system for both men and women, and the European T20 Premier League on the horizon, I'm more confident than ever that the foundations are there to realise that new vision, so it's the right time for me to hand over the baton. Advertisement Most read in Cricket 'While the absolute highlights of the role are too numerous to mention, the most powerful memories I'll take with me are of our Irish cricket family – the good people, the kind people, the mentors, the taskmasters, the wonderful colleagues, and the countless friends I am privileged to have made along the way. "I look forward to saying a personal thanks to as many people as possible over the coming weeks.' England captain Ben Stokes gives reaction after his side's five-wicket win over India in the first Test The Chair of Cricket Ireland Brian MacNeice thanked Warren Deutrom for all his works over his nearly 19 years. He said 'The measure of success for any CEO is have they left the organisation in a better place than they found it. There is no doubt Warren has achieved that. Advertisement "It's obvious that cricket – and more specifically, Irish cricket – hasn't just been a job for Warren, but rather a passion. "He has driven some of the most significant achievements our sport has ever seen – especially the attainment of Full Membership of the ICC. "He took over an embryonic organisation, led it through an unparalleled period of growth, managed the organisation through challenges such as the economic crash and Covid, and always maintained an eye on the big picture. 'A role like this invariably demands an extraordinary level of skill, dedication, enthusiasm and selflessness, three attributes Warren has in abundance. Advertisement "He ends his tenure with not only a list of achievements, but several substantial projects in development – such as "On behalf of the Board and staff of Cricket Ireland, I thank Warren for his outstanding leadership and commitment to the role of CEO – and I wish Warren and his family all the best in the future.'
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Warren Deutrom to step down as Cricket Ireland CEO after 19 years
Cricket Ireland will begin the search for a new chief executive for the first time in almost two decades after it was confirmed on Thursday that Warren Deutrom is to step down from the role at the end of August. Deutrom was appointed in September 2006 after previously working for the International Cricket Council (ICC) and England and Wales Cricket Board. The highs of Ireland's World Cup campaign in the Caribbean came early in his reign, as did the fallout when players imposed a ban on dealing with the media over the delay in receiving their bonuses from playing in the tournament. Under Deutrom's leadership Cricket Ireland would go on to introduce professional contracts for both the men's and women's international squads, while he highlighted Ireland's ascension to full member status of the ICC and gaining Test status in 2017 as his biggest achievements in the role. READ MORE 'It's hard to explain my feelings since making this decision,' said Deutrom after Wednesday's Cricket Ireland board meeting, where he made his announcement. 'The role of Cricket Ireland CEO has covered more than a third of my life and two-thirds of my professional career. It has felt more like a vocation and a true labour of love than a mere job. 'The attainment of ICC full membership and Test status is the most significant achievement I'll look back on with pride – indeed, if the first decade of my role was about trying to achieve ICC full membership/Test status, the next decade has been about trying to live up to that privilege. 'Today, with new ICC funding, with permanent infrastructure planned, a World Cup to co-host, a central contracts system for both men and women, and the European T20 Premier League on the horizon, I'm more confident than ever that the foundations are there to realise that new vision, so it's the right time for me to hand over the baton.'
