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.
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? 
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 
.
3% (2020) 
gotta love seein' more women in leadership roles 
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 
️
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 
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 
. Wouldn't that be something?
. I'm all about supporting more women in leadership roles, especially in sports admin. It's like, totally overdue, you know? 
. Warren Deutrom seems pretty optimistic about the future, and I'm all for that positivity vibe 
!
, 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 
.
. The future's looking bright for this sport 
. Fingers crossed she'll bring some major changes to the sport 
Ireland just made history by appointing Sarah Keane as its new CEO! That's super interesting