Graham Ford extends contract to remain Ireland head coach

The new deal takes the South African to the end of the qualifying process for the 2023 ICC World Cup

Graham Ford has signed a contract extension with Cricket Ireland that will see him remain as the national side’s head coach through to April 2022.

The new deal takes the South African to the end of the qualifying process for the 2023 ICC World Cup.

Ford, who arrived as coach at the end of 2017 following the departure of John Bracewell from the role, has won 19 of his first 46 games in charge; 31 of those games have come against other full members.

The news comes ahead of a crucial period for Irish cricket, with a tri-series beginning on Sunday against Scotland and the Netherlands – a contest organised following the postponement of the Euro T20 Slam.

The three nations are using the three-way competition as preparation for the T20 World Cup qualifiers, which begin in the UAE in October.

Ford said of the extension: "The last two years have been quite a journey, and we are only just starting to see the emergence of the new generation of players that will push Irish cricket forward over coming years.

"I still feel we have a way to go, but I am committed to the task and didn't hesitate in signing a new contract.

"As a coach, you want to see progress as a team, and you want to see development of individual players. We've certainly seen that in recent times and the potential is now there to push on further."

Cricket Ireland performance director Richard Holdsworth added: "The last two years have been the busiest and most demanding in Irish cricket history, and it is only getting busier, so I am delighted Graham has agreed to continue the work we began in this new phase as a full member.

"The extension is also an important signal to the players - it's a vote of confidence in the direction we're heading and provides stability at an important stage of our squad's development. This will give a boost to the squad ahead of the qualifier."