Graham Ford will step down as Ireland coach in December, citing the “challenges and handicaps” of the job, according to cricket officials. Graham Ford retired.
Ireland’s first-ever Test match was against Pakistan, and the former South Africa and Sri Lanka coach recently led his team to the T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates and Oman.
Graham Ford has resigned as head coach of Ireland after 102 international runs | Cricket News https://t.co/8nVIdkvjI4
— Innocent Amit (@Theinnocentamit) November 17, 2021
In a statement, Cricket Ireland announced that the 61-year-old South African will cease coaching duties immediately but would complete his contractual notice period, which would take him until mid-December.
Ford, who appointed in 2017, said the past four years had been “extremely special,” but he also mentioned the role’s challenges without going into detail.
@OfficialSLC confirms that Graham Ford has resigned from the post of Head Coach of Sri Lanka Cricket. pic.twitter.com/eaI4IWT0oT
— Lahiru Dushmantha (@ldushmanthe) June 24, 2017
“Cricket Ireland has suffered several handicaps and hurdles as compared to the other ICC (International Cricket Council) full-member nations (Test-playing sides),” he remarked.
Graham Ford retired
“Despite this, the team has played admirably against some of the best teams in the world on multiple occasions, and it has been a privilege for me to witness firsthand the character and camaraderie of the Irish players.”
“However, these hurdles and handicaps have taken their toll on me over time.”
Ireland’s high performance director, Richard Holdsworth, acknowledged the pressures Ford had experienced, notably during the coronavirus crisis.
“I know from working closely with Graham that managing his workload during the Covid pandemic was particularly taxing — constant travel around Ireland to train with players, long periods living within bio-bubbles, and the burdens of coaching for long periods under travel restrictions and a recruitment freeze that prevented us from hiring coaching support, to name a few challenges.”
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