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Richard Holdsworth, Cricket Ireland’s Director of Cricket, has announced he will step back from his current role to embark on the next chapter of his professional life.

Holdsworth, who has been with Cricket Ireland since 2011, spent over 13 years as High Performance Director before moving to his current position last year. He played a central role in a remarkable period of growth and change for the sport in Ireland. He was instrumental in building and professionalising Ireland’s elite cricket systems, including overseeing the development and implementation of central player contracts across men’s and women’s programmes.

On the international front, he played a key role in Irish cricket’s transition from an ambitious Associate Member to a Full Member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) — a milestone achieved in 2017 that fundamentally reshaped the nation’s presence in world cricket. On the domestic front, he supported the reintroduction and enhancement of key domestic competitions – including the men’s Inter-Provincial Series and the women’s Super Series – to build depth and quality at all levels.  

During his tenure in the High Performance role, Ireland’s national teams continued to advance on the international stage. The Ireland Men’s team now competes regularly in all three formats of international cricket, achieving Test status in 2017 and earning competitive rankings within ICC standings (Test: 10th, ODI: 12th, T20I: 11th). The Ireland Women’s team sits around the top 10 in global ODI (10^th) and T20I (9^th) rankings, reflecting sustained progress and competitive performances in key international contests. 

While Richard is stepping back from his role at Cricket Ireland, he has agreed to provide periodic support during the organisation’s transition to the new leadership under incoming CEO, Sarah Keane.

Ross McCollum, interim CEO of Cricket Ireland, said:

“Most people start a role with the express intention to leave it in a better state than they found it – and there are few better examples of this than Richard. He led the transformation of the High Performance structures during a period of rapid growth and evolution. In addition, he has played a central role in the design and delivery of new talent pathways, academy structures, and coaching development programmes.

“His work on the design and development of the first phase of the High Performance Centre at the Sport Ireland Campus was highly commendable, as it provided our elite cricketers with a training environment which was on par or better than our peers within the game.

“We are saying a farewell to a colleague who truly loves this sport and put everything into his work with the express purpose of improving opportunities for Irish cricketers to develop and thrive on the world stage. On behalf of Irish cricket, I thank Richard for his dedication and achievement over 14 years and wish him well in his next step.”

Richard Holdsworth said:

“I’m incredibly proud of what we have achieved together working with a team of outstanding staff. From our collective efforts to professionalise structures and support players at the highest level, to seeing Ireland compete with distinction on the global stage — it has been a privilege to be part of this journey. Cricket Ireland will soon welcome a new Chief Executive Officer, further marking a transition to the next phase of the organisation’s strategic growth and ambition, and I wish Sarah and the team continued growth and success.”