Ireland men’s head coach Heinrich Malan has decided to step down from his role less than 24 hours after guiding the team to a historic 2-0 T20I sweep over India, Cricket Ireland confirmed on Monday. Malan was appointed as head coach in 2022 and saw several impressive moments for the team.ย
He helped the team qualify for three consecutive T20 World Cups, Ireland’s first three-match Test series win and capped his tenure off with a historic 2-0 sweep of India. His contract extends to early 2027. However, Cricket Ireland stated that the 45-year-old feels “the timing is right in the cycle to step back” and let a new head coach “use the ODI series against Afghanistan in August as an important part of the preparations moving towards the all-important 50-over World Cup Qualifiers early in 2027.”
Malan reflects on the tenure
Malan reflected on his tenure, thanking the “players, staff and the wider Irish cricket community”. “My family and I have had a wonderful experience living here, and we will look back on our time involved in Irish cricket with great affection.
“On the field, we can look back with great pride on our historic T20 World Cup victory against England in Melbourne, our first-ever Test victory against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi, the first home Test win vs Zimbabwe in Belfast, the historic T20 series win at home vs India and beating Pakistan, West Indies, South Africa as well as direct qualifications for T20 WCโs through our consistent ability to challenge and beat the worldโs top teams.”
Ireland stun India in T20Is
Ireland registered a historic 2-0 T20I series sweep over India, their only fourth T20I series win over a full-member nation.ย The Men in Blue failed to chase down a middling total of 155, and only a late blitz from Harshit Rana mitigated the loss margin to one run. This ended India’s three-year-long dominance of not losing a T20I series.ย Their last T20I series before this defeat was in 2023 when they went down to West Indies 3-2. India’s last whitewash in the format was way back in 2019 when Australia defeated them 2-0.
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