Ireland Makes Landmark Appointment Amid Challenges For The Small Cricket Nation

Ireland has finally made history by appointing Sarah Keane, a female executive, as its new permanent chief executive. This appointment comes at a time when the country faces numerous challenges in growing the popularity of cricket. With only two red-ball Tests played on home soil since becoming a Full Member in 2017, Keane will be tasked with overcoming financial pressures and limited international match opportunities.

The appointment marks an important milestone for women in cricket administration. Indra Nooyi, a former PepsiCo CEO, became the first independent female director on the International Cricket Council (ICC) board in 2018. However, despite her success, she has only recently stepped down from the board after three terms.

Keane brings a wealth of experience to the role, having served as Swim Ireland's chief executive since 2004 and Olympic Federation of Ireland president from 2017-24. She will take over from Warren Deutrom, who left in August after 19 years at the helm. Deutrom had previously expressed concerns about the challenges facing Ireland's cricket board, including balancing franchise cricket with international matches.

One potential solution to unlock more opportunities for Ireland is the implementation of two divisions for Test cricket. This could provide more competitive matches and attract higher-profile teams. However, it remains unclear how this would work and whether it would be implemented in a fair and merit-based manner.

Despite these challenges, Deutrom expressed optimism about the future of Irish cricket, citing the development of a new 4,000-seat international stadium in Dublin as a major boost for the sport. The new stadium will serve not only as an international cricket venue but also as a high-performance center at the National Sports Campus.

With Keane at the helm, Ireland is poised to embark on a new era for its cricket nation. As she prepares to take over, she faces significant hurdles, including growing the popularity of the sport and overcoming financial constraints. However, with her experience and passion for the game, there is hope that Ireland's cricket fortunes will begin to change for the better.

I think it's awesome that Sarah Keane is taking over as the new CEO of Irish Cricket, she sounds like a total rockstar with all that experience in swim sports and Olympics ! But honestly, I'm a bit concerned about how she'll tackle the financial struggles and growing the popularity of cricket in Ireland. They really need to find ways to make it more accessible and appealing to a wider audience . Maybe they can look into some new marketing strategies or even team up with other sports organizations to attract more fans . The fact that they're building a new 4000-seat stadium is super exciting though! Fingers crossed for Sarah Keane and the future of Irish Cricket

So they finally got a female CEO in Ireland cricket... it's like we're making progress slowly but surely, you know? But seriously, with Sarah Keane on board, she's got some big shoes to fill. I mean, Irish cricket is struggling to grow its popularity and the financial situation is pretty dire. They only have two red-ball Tests played at home since they became a Full Member in 2017! That's like, what, a few years ago?

And let's talk about the new stadium that just opened up... it's a major thing for cricket in Ireland, but I'm not sure if it'll be enough to turn things around. They need more than just a fancy venue to attract teams and fans. They need a solid plan of action. And that's where Keane comes in. She's got experience running Swim Ireland and the Olympic Federation of Ireland, so she knows what works.

I'm intrigued by the idea of having two divisions for Test cricket... it could bring more competitive matches and make the sport more attractive to fans. But we'll have to see how it plays out. One thing's for sure, though - with Keane at the helm, there's hope that Ireland's cricket fortunes will start to shift in a positive direction. Fingers crossed!

I'm skeptical about this whole two-division Test cricket thing . It sounds like a bunch of fancy solutions to problems that aren't even clear-cut yet. What's next? Divisions in rugby or soccer too? And what's with the new stadium? I mean, it's great for tourism and all, but is it really gonna bring more people to watch cricket? Ireland's got some amazing countryside – why not use that to our advantage instead of building a fancy stadium?

I'm not convinced about this two-division Test cricket idea... It sounds like they're trying to prop up a struggling sport by just throwing more teams at it. What if it ends up dividing the league even further and making it less competitive? And how are they gonna make sure it's fair and merit-based? We've seen enough gimmicks in sports to know that often, it's all about the money and politics behind them

I'm loving this new era for Irish cricket, reminds me of when I was a kid watching Shane Warne play in the 90s... fast forward to now, Sarah Keane stepping into the role - that's amazing! But, man, it feels like they're going through similar struggles as India did back in the day trying to grow their game. Two divisions for Test cricket sounds interesting, I remember Australia used to have a comp similar setup before and it really helped them gain more international experience... fingers crossed Keane can make it work here!

57% of women in leadership positions are from the United States . Meanwhile, only 3% of CEOs at top Irish companies are female . That's why Sarah Keane's appointment is a game-changer for Ireland! Did you know that Cricket is played by over 2.5 billion people worldwide? We need more women like Sarah in leadership to grow the popularity of cricket in Ireland and beyond .

Chart: Female representation in top Irish companies 3% (2020)

Graph: Global cricket players by country

Bar chart: Top 5 countries with most female CEOs

gotta love seein' more women in leadership roles especially in sports like cricket where it's still a bit of a boys club sarah keane seems like a total rockstar with her experience and all i hope she can make some waves and get more ppl into the game and that new stadium is gonna be lit 2 divisions for test cricket sounds interesting i wonder if they'll be able to pull it off tho fingers crossed for the future of irish cricket! ️

I mean, finally! We've got a female CEO in Ireland, which is like, super cool... 27 years late or something . I'm not sure if I should be impressed or just grateful that they didn't appoint my aunt. Anyway, Sarah Keane seems like a pretty solid choice, considering she's been doing the whole Swim Ireland thing since 2004... I guess it's better than playing cricket in your PJs .

So, two divisions for Test cricket? Sounds like a great idea to me! Who needs competitive matches when you can just play against each other and call it a day? But seriously, it could work if they figure out how to make it fair and stuff. And that new stadium in Dublin sounds pretty cool... a 4,000-seat venue for international cricket and high-performance training? Sounds like they're trying to win some fans over .

Overall, I'm kinda excited to see what Sarah Keane does with the role. Maybe she'll single-handedly turn Irish cricket into a thing . Wouldn't that be something?

OMG, like, yay for Sarah Keane ! She's gonna bring so much skill & experience to the table . I'm all about supporting more women in leadership roles, especially in sports admin. It's like, totally overdue, you know? The fact that they're trying to implement two divisions for Test cricket is a cool idea, but we'll see how it goes down . Fingers crossed it works out and Ireland's cricket scene starts to thrive . Warren Deutrom seems pretty optimistic about the future, and I'm all for that positivity vibe . Here's hoping Keane can bring some much-needed growth & change to the sport !

Finally! A female CEO in Irish cricket , this is a big deal! Sarah Keane has some serious skills under her belt, been leading Swim Ireland and Olympic Fed since 2004 . She's gonna need to work magic on this sport tho , only two red-ball Tests played at home? Not cool . Two divisions for Test cricket could be a game changer , but it's all about fair play and making sure everyone's equal .

New stadium in Dublin sounds like a dream come true , can't wait to see how Keane's gonna make Irish cricket shine . The future's looking bright for this sport !

finally someone gets the top job in irish cricket! Sarah Keane sounds like a total rockstar i mean she has heaps of experience, like 20+ yrs in admin roles which is crazy! but seriously, two divisions for test cricket? that's not a bad idea at all it would definitely give the team more competitive matches and maybe even attract some big-name teams. what do u think about this potential solution tho?

omg I'm so hyped about Sarah Keane being appointed as the new CEO of Irish Cricket !!! it's like a whole new level of excitement for women in sports leadership!!! especially with all the challenges they're facing, it's amazing to see someone like Keane bringing her expertise and passion to the table . I mean, two divisions for Test cricket sounds like an awesome idea , but we gotta make sure it's implemented in a way that's fair for everyone involved . Deutrom leaving was a big move, and I'm curious to see how Keane will tackle those financial pressures . Fingers crossed she'll bring some major changes to the sport !

Wow Ireland just made history by appointing Sarah Keane as its new CEO! That's super interesting she has a ton of experience in different roles so fingers crossed she can turn things around for Irish cricket. Maybe introducing two divisions for Test cricket will be the key to unlocking more opportunities and making it a bigger deal over there