IRELAND MEN’S CRICKET head coach Graham Ford will step down from his role and leave Cricket Ireland next month.

Ford, a native of South Africa, still has a year remaining on his contract after extending it by three years in 2019. However, in a statement released this morning, he noted that the “many handicaps and challenges” faced by Cricket Ireland compared to other ICC Full Member nations have “taken their toll” on him, and that it was “the right time” to depart the setup.

Ford, who took charge of Ireland in 2017, described his spell in charge as a “privilege”, while Ireland captain Andrew Balbirnie described him as “one of the best coaches I have ever worked with.”

Ford said: “The last four years have been very special for me. I have enjoyed many happy days with a cricket squad made up of very special people. I have also enjoyed watching club cricket and experiencing the passion and club loyalty of many fine cricketing people.

“When compared with the other ICC Full Member nations, Cricket Ireland has faced many handicaps and challenges. Despite this, on several occasions the team has competed impressively with some of the top teams in world cricket and it has been a privilege for me to experience first-hand the character and togetherness of the Irish players.

However, over a period of time these challenges and handicaps have taken their toll on me. After much consideration and discussion with my family, I realise that this is the right time for me to step away from Cricket Ireland.

“I’d like to end by thanking all the players and the support staff for their impressive attitudes and loyal support during the four years and I look forward to watching them achieve big things in the future.”

Skipper Balbirnie said of Ford: “Graham has been one of the best coaches I have ever worked with, and I feel very fortunate that I got to spend four years working with him — not just for the playing development side of my game but for his incredible support during my captaincy to date.

We have had our challenges over the last number of years as a squad, but his consistent positivity has been infectious and his determination to improve the skills of everyone in the squad has brought some of our young cricketers on leaps and bounds. I think more important than anything is that Fordy is a brilliant person and one that will be greatly missed in and around the squad, and on behalf of the group of players we wish him nothing but the best in the future.

Cricket Ireland high performance director Richard Holdsworth added: “It is a sad day to see Graham bid farewell to Cricket Ireland – he is a truly world-class coach who has incredible respect within the game, both for his achievements on the field and his work in developing players off the field. We have been very fortunate to have had the wisdom and guidance of Graham through the last four years and we wish him well as he leaves the Irish game for now.

It would be sugar-coating the occasion to not acknowledge the challenges that Graham has faced – in many respects, unprecedented challenges. The physical and mental impact of the pandemic has been much talked about regarding players, but the coaches and support staff are equally impacted by circumstances. In fact, you could almost say it can have a greater impact on those within leadership positions in a squad as they often bear the weight of those who are under their guidance, as well as their own personal struggles. Graham has been a stoic coach, mentor and support for a squad of players dealing with extremely demanding circumstances. And, as he admits himself, it has taken its toll and he needs a break from the game.

Holdsworth continued: “I know from working closely with Graham that the difficulties of managing his workload during the Covid pandemic has been particularly taxing – the constant travelling around Ireland to train with players, lengthy periods living within bio-bubbles, and the burdens of coaching for large periods under travel restrictions and a recruitment freeze which prevented us from hiring coaching support to name but a few challenges.

“No one will truly know or appreciate how many hours Graham put in taking one-on-one sessions with senior players during Covid – such was his commitment and desire to not see the development of a crop of young players stunted by the pandemic’s restrictions.

“He has barely taken a day off voluntarily in his four years here, such is his commitment, and probably hasn’t had a sustained break from the game for well over two decades. The pace, relentlessness and increasing pressures of international cricket – compounded by the impact of the pandemic – are such that we fully understand and appreciate Graham’s position.

“Personally I shall miss him greatly, and while disappointed that we will lose him, I can’t but respect that Graham is putting his mental health, physical health and family first at this time.

“We wish him well and hope the break from the game is what he needs to rest, recover and recharge before charting his next course in life – hopefully in cricket.”

The Ireland men’s team is due to leave for a tour of the USA next month, which will be immediately followed by a white-ball series against the West Indies in January.

An interim coaching setup will be put in place to take charge of both outings while Cricket Ireland work on a longer-term plan. The governing body says this plan “will take into account any recommendations from the current T20 World Cup Review underway.”