The former captain, Gary Wilson, has been appointed as the Ireland head coach, becoming the first Irish-born coach to take charge of the national side in over three decades.
He will be taking over after Heinrich Malan decided to step down from the role with immediate effect.
He stepped down just a day after Ireland pulled out a famous 2-0 win against India, saying that the side needs to make a smooth transition ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup.
The 40-year-old Gary Wilson has represented the side 292 times in his 15-year international career in 2020 and succeeded Heinrich Malan in the head coach role.
He will be the first Irish coach to guide the senior men’s team since John Wills in the early 1990s.
He moved into coaching shortly after his retirement, initially leading the domestic side North West Warriors before joining the senior national setup as an assistant coach under Malan in 2022.
“Representing Ireland as a player is something I will always be hugely proud of, but to now take on the role of Head Coach is a very special honour that means a great deal to me. I have been extremely fortunate over the years to work with some of the best coaches and to learn so much.”
“My coaching beliefs have been shaped by each coach I have worked with and are centred around strong communication, building and maintaining relationships to get the best out of players, hard work, a player-centred focus, and setting high challenges for those who are driven to succeed. Above all, the power of the connection to the Shamrock is something I’ve witnessed and is something I intend on using to our advantage,” said Gary Wilson.
It is understood that Heinrich Malan will be working closely with Gary Wilson during the five-match ODI series against Afghanistan starting on August 05.
“I’d like to put on record my thanks to Heinrich – over the last 4 years, he has allowed me to have the responsibility that has put me in a position to be ready for this role, and for that I am truly grateful. We have had some great days in that time, and I wish him and his family all the very best for what comes next.”
Speaking on his appointment, Cricket Ireland’s High Performance director, Graeme West, said, “I would like to congratulate Gary on his appointment – he has demonstrated strong leadership qualities both as a player and as a coach, and we look forward to working with him as we continue to develop this squad.”
