Recently, Sport Ireland held an event at the National Sports Campus in Dublin to announce its High Performance investment programme for 2026. Around €28.5 million was set to be invested across all sports, of which Cricket Ireland will receive €630,000 this year.
Graeme West, Director of High Performance at Cricket Ireland, attended the session:
“We’re delighted with the High Performance programme support from Sport Ireland and would like to thank Minister Charlie McConalogue and the team from Sport Ireland for their ongoing commitment to cricket.
“We have a large volume of high performance activity to fund in 2026. This funding will help us deliver a comprehensive programme that includes development tournaments for Under-16s and Under-19s levels and the Future Series – both male and female versions.
“Most people may not appreciate that it takes a huge amount of financial resource to run those tournaments, but for us, it’s a great investment. The tournaments give us the opportunity to identify new talent; to measure talent that’s already in the system; and start to identify where some of the players are heading – particularly those that we feel have the attributes to go on and play senior international cricket.”
West outlined why the talent pathway is so critical to the future of Irish cricket:
“For an elite young cricketer that is aged, say, 13 or 14 the talent pathway covers the while journey from that age right the way through to the senior team. That includes passing through the provincial programmes, the national programmes – and particularly Under-19s where we have World Cups every two years.
“So, the resourcing of that pathway is crucial, as it ensures that – as a system – are developing our emerging talent properly – preparing the player for life in international cricket. For every player in the system, we are making an investment – an investment not only in coaching technique and skills, but also providing the performance services which are equally as important in a player’s development.
“I think the time that I’ve had now in this role, around 18 months, has given me that clarity and insight into what’s required, what’s feasible, what’s realistic and to fully appreciate the support that we have with the Provincial Unions and their support around the young cricketers’ development alongside the national programmes.
West moved to Ireland after more than a decade working for Cricket West Indies:
“I had more of a coaching role initially when I started at the High Performance Centre in Barbados in 2012. But the role evolved as the organisation evolved, and my final role was very much similar in nature to the role I’m now fulfilling here in Ireland.”
West, however, is not new to Irish cricketers:
“Prior to the Cricket West Indies, I was Academy Director at Middlesex when Andy Balbirnie and Paul Stirling were first introduced to the club, so a little bit of history there. We also had George Dockrell play some Under-17 cricket for Middlesex as well, so it’s been a long time, but still some familiar faces.”
