Cricket Ireland confirmed on Tuesday that Richard Holdsworth is leaving his post as director of cricket after almost 15 years with the organisation. His departure follows chief executive Warren Deutrom’s exit last August, making Holdsworth the second senior figure to move on in the past six months.
Holdsworth joined Cricket Ireland as high-performance director back in 2011 and was promoted to the top cricket role only last year. In a short statement the board said he would “step back” and “embark on the next chapter of his professional life”, wording that suggests the split is amicable rather than forced.
Cricket Ireland is already in the middle of wider restructuring. Deutrom’s old chair is being taken by Sarah Keane, long-serving Swim Ireland CEO, with Ross McCollum acting on an interim basis until March. Deutrom, for his part, has re-emerged as chair of the planned European T20 Premier League (ETPL), an event pencilled in for this summer after last year’s postponement.
For Holdsworth, the move ends a spell in which he helped steer Ireland from ambitious Associate member to fully-fledged Test nation. “I’m incredibly proud of what we have achieved together working with a team of outstanding staff,” Holdsworth said in a statement. “From our collective efforts to professionalise structures and support players at the highest level, to seeing Ireland compete with distinction on the global stage — it has been a privilege to be part of this journey.”
That point about structures matters. When Holdsworth arrived, Ireland’s men still relied on part-time deals and last-minute funding, while the women’s set-up was even further behind. Central contracts, indoor training hubs and a defined pathway for youngsters are now in place. Results have been mixed – Test and ODI victories remain rare – yet the base is firmer.
McCollum, who oversaw much of that evolution from the boardroom, paid tribute. “We are saying a farewell to a colleague who truly loves this sport and put everything into his work with the express purpose of improving opportunities for Irish cricketers to develop and thrive on the world stage,” he said. “On behalf of Irish cricket, I thank Richard for his dedication and achievement over 14 years and wish him well in his next step.”
Where next for Holdsworth? Friends suggest he may stay in high-performance sport, though no destination has been confirmed. For Cricket Ireland, the immediate task is finding a successor capable of turning solid foundations into consistent wins, both for the men’s and women’s sides. The governing body hopes the fresh leadership trio of Keane, a new director of cricket and permanent chief executive will have time to bed in before the busy 2026-27 cycle, which includes a men’s T20 World Cup qualifier and Women’s Championship fixtures.
Plenty of work lies ahead, yet Holdsworth leaves with Ireland’s cricket infrastructure in far better shape than he found it – and that, even in a sport of numbers, is hard to quantify.
