IRELAND HEAD COACH John Bracewell will leave the position when his contract with Cricket Ireland expires in December, it has been confirmed.
The 59-year-old met with senior Cricket Ireland officials this week, where a ‘mutual decision’ on his future was reached although it could be a case of Bracewell jumping before he was pushed.
His two years in charge has coincided with a dramatic and alarming downturn in the national team’s performances and results and his standing as head coach was becoming increasingly tenuous.
Bracewell has won just 21 of the 62 completed games during his tenure since taking over from Phil Simmons in May 2015, including heavy defeats to England, New Zealand and Bangladesh this summer.
The announcement comes just weeks after Ireland’s elevation to Full Membership and Test status of the International Cricket Council was granted, a point Bracewell refers to in his statement.
The Kiwi says ‘it is not my desire’ to go down the Full Member route again having already done so as player and coach with New Zealand.
“Having been down the full-on Full Member road before with New Zealand Cricket, it is not my desire to do so again,” he said.
“Whilst my wife and I have immersed ourselves into Ireland and Irish culture we feel it is now time to return home to New Zealand and our families. I have therefore agreed with Cricket Ireland to finish up at the conclusion of my contract.
“I have loved working with an honest group of players whose values and work ethic have been second to none. As challenging as the future may be, they will be the first to honour the Test cap and I am proud to have spent some time with them on that journey.
“I took on the role as Head Coach because I believed in the little guy getting a fair break and the cause of attaining test status appealed to my underdog psyche. That having been achieved, albeit by an unexpected turn of events, has left me looking for a new goal and challenge,” added Bracewell.
“Before my departure there are still a mountain of things to be put in place in assisting Richard Holdsworth and the coaching staff in preparing the Irish players for this new, exciting and very tough future. For the players there is the small matter of the Inter-Continental Cup to win, and a West Indies team to beat.”
Bracewell will remain at the helm for the final three fixtures of the calendar year– the Intercontinental Cup games against Netherlands in August and Scotland in December and the ODI against West Indies in Belfast on 13 September.
Cricket Ireland CEO Warren Deutrom paid tribute to the passion of Bracewell during an admittedly transitional stage for the team.
“John is a man of great integrity who has offered a great deal to Irish cricket’s cause in the last two years,” Deutrom added. “He is admired by the players and his colleagues at Cricket Ireland and deserves both our sincere thanks and appreciation for his hard work, commitment and contribution.
“This mutual decision has been made as we focus on next year’s World Cup Qualifier and future Test team, and our need to build an approach to deliver success over the coming years within a new performance structure, and as a new ICC full member country.”
The search for a successor will begin in due course.
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dont really belive in this “best player in the world” crap tbh especially young player or in certain positions,its just too hard to gauge but hazard is certainly up there
and yes before people say it messi and ronaldo are streets ahead but its rarely been so easy to call !!
Hazard is a world class player, I’m a United fan and would love to have him on the team, I watched the match against city last night and he had a great game, skipping by players, holding onto the ball. While not quite on the same level as messi or ronaldo yet, he has got the ability to be up there with the best, maybe in 5 years time probably the best player in the world? If he keeps going the way he’s going he’ll without a doubt be on top, I can’t wait to see the moment everyone realises that this guy could be number 1
yeah absolutely keith i hope you didnt think i was saying anything contrary to what you just said,i agree he has the potential to be world class and maybe the best in the world i just dont really belive in that title too much
for example take messi and ronaldo out of it and there are easily a dozen players you could argue are “the best in the world” and as for saying hazard is the best young player in the world,im sure fans of every league would have a different answer,pogba in serie A.gotze in bundesliga and any of a number in spain could you really say he is better than them is my point
Jon Flanaghan anybody!!
Nah Hazard is gifted in fairness
He is world class at 23 so who knows how far he will go…
What about that jacuzzi diver at yanited???
Hazard is outstanding but needs to add more goals
The kid dived I say about twice, the kid only 18 !! Years ahead of him…. Once he gets a grip of the game better, he will be a class act.
d11 do you actually support liverpool supporter or just hate united ?? you are a hateful idiot,juanazj is class and will be world class he dived once or twice about the same as that myth of a player you probably masturbate to steven gerrrard
Unbalivable Player, One to keep an eye on in the future :)
Fap fap fap fap fap fap fap…….
He certainly has the potential. Remember this goal against Man Utd last year in the FA Cup – http://goo.gl/EI5kZv Wow!