Warren Deutrom, the chief exec of Cricket Ireland since Sept 2006, stands down from the organization this month. Under his leadership, Irish cricket has witnessed unprecedented growth. Significantly, Ireland was granted full member status in the International Cricket Council (ICC), making this triumph one for the record books. Looking back as he prepares to leave office, Deutrom is encouraged by the future prospects for his successor. Regardless of the challenges, he sees huge opportunities for cricket’s growth, especially in Ireland.
Under Deutrom’s stewardship, Ireland had memorable wins against the likes of cricketing powerhouses Pakistan, England and the West Indies. One of his major contributions was driving the introduction of professional contracts for the men’s and women’s teams. It was a huge step for the burgeoning sport in the country. Though cricket was booming, Cricket Ireland had never been financially healthy. This meant that they had to cancel the upcoming tours from Australia in 2024 and Afghanistan in 2023. On this latter point, Deutrom mentioned the prohibitive cost of temporary stadium infrastructure as a big driver in these decisions.
Looking forward to the post pandemic future, Cricket Ireland’s main priority is growing its facilities. The rugby organization recently voted to build a permanent stadium in Dublin. This new stadium will have a capacity of 4,000 and is expected to open in 2029. This new performance venue will generate significant economic benefit. Finally, it will increase the profile of Irish cricket, giving the “minnow sport” a new status as a global sporting competitor.
According to the Deputy CEO Deutrom, having India here to play in 2026 might be the moment Irish cricket is waiting on. He continued, “The next five years – [In] 2026 we hope we can have India coming in. That’s something I’ll be developing in the coming weeks.” His dreams go further than just attracting the big teams though to joint hosting the ICC T20 World Cup in 2030.
Looking back on his years with Cricket Ireland, Deutrom still takes pride in the progress the organization has made since his arrival. He remarked, “When I arrived, I think I was one of the very few people who did believe.” He has a strong belief in the talent that is out there amongst Irish cricket. Players, too, have voiced this sentiment by proving it on the pitch. “I think our players got it, I think they definitely saw the talent that was here and they believed – and you saw that from their performances on the pitch,” he noted.
Deutrom adds that while there are still temporary needs, a permanent stadium will cut the capital costs of temporary facilities. In addition, it will give Cricket Ireland a great and eternal asset. He explained, “Operationally, suddenly it means hundreds of thousands [of euros] that we would otherwise spend on developing or building temporary infrastructure goes.” He highlighted the importance of having a dedicated venue: “When we have a stadium, you are suddenly bringing people to your home.”
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