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Cricket Ireland offers maiden professional contracts to female cricketers

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Cricket Ireland has taken a remarkable step for the welfare of its female cricketers by offering them professional contracts for the very first time. The governing body announced a total of 20 contracts among which seven are full-time, nine are part-time or educational and four are non-retainer contracts.


Captain Laura Delany is among those to have signed a full-time contract. Eimear Richardson has also been offered a full-time deal. Gaby Lewis, Leah Paul and Orla Prendergast and Richardson ( if she accepts) are all on two-year contracts.


Added to that, the contract of the women’s team coach Ed Joyce has been extended by a period of three years. 



This means that Ireland will have their first-ever professional women’s cricketers from this summer season starting with three T20Is and as many ODIs against South Africa in June, followed by a T20I tri-series featuring Australia and Pakistan in July, which is a huge development in Irish cricket. 


On the other hand, the noble purpose of the part-time contracts is to support the players in continuing their education and also help them get proper training and other facilities. 


While stating in a press release, the chief executive of Cricket Ireland Warren Deutrom has announced that they are committed to investing €1.5 million in women’s cricket. This move will certainly make cricket a major sport in Ireland.   


“These announcements underline our deep commitment to women’s and girls’ elite cricket and put us firmly on the path of not only becoming a major nation in world cricket but a major sport in Ireland, Cricket Ireland’s CEO said. 


“If in the past our focus was primarily on Men’s senior cricket, now our focus is equally on the Women’s game as the shopfront for advancing our sport.”, Deutrom said. “We are today only the second Women’s sport in Ireland to offer 12-month, full-time contracts after the Rugby 7s squad and this we are intensely proud of”, he further added. 


The Irish Women’s team’s skipper Laura Delany has also provided very positive feedback regarding this brilliant effort by Cricket Ireland. She has said that the entire team is thankful to the board for these contracts and has also advised the squad to enjoy the opportunity.  


“As a squad, we are truly excited and thankful for this opportunity- it is something that many of us never would have dreamed of when we started out playing the sport we love”, Delany citied. 


“For many years, legends of our Irish Women’s cricket have fought hard to achieve success on and off the field. To the squad, I say simply, enjoy it. Enjoy this opportunity- be thankful, but know that you have earned the right to stand where you are.”, the captain concluded. 

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