DUBLIN – Cricket Ireland today has confirmed that 23-year old paceman Nathan Smith has decided to call time on his Irish cricket career to pursue opportunities in his native Australia.
Smith played for Instonians at club level and Northern Knights in the Inter-Provincial Championships. He appeared for the Ireland Wolves in 2018 and was one of the original 14 players named in Ireland’s inaugural men’s Test match in May 2018.
Speaking from Sydney, where he is currently playing club cricket for Northern Districts, he said:
“‘Playing professional cricket has always been a dream of mine but unfortunately I am no longer committed to achieving this goal. Thank you to Cricket Ireland, their coaches and staff, for allowing me the opportunity to chase this dream and helping me grow to be the best player and person I could be.”
Richard Holdsworth, Performance Director at Cricket Ireland, said:
“We are saddened to see Nathan leave Irish cricket. We had identified Nathan’s obvious bowling talent when he first moved to Ireland, and incorporated him into our talent pathway. Nathan was offered an Emerging Player contract in 2018 and we had offered him another for the 2019 season. These contract offers, in addition to being selected in the original 14-man Test squad last year, exemplifies the belief we have in him. However, we respect his decision, difficult as it must have been, and we wish him all the best with the next stage of his career outside of cricket.”
Nathan Smith in action for Ireland Wolves
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