Central contracts for top women

CRICKET Ireland is to offer professional contracts to women for the first time.

The board of Cricket Ireland has endorsed a recommendation which was accepted at a board meeting last week.

“It has been an ambition of ours for a number of years,” said Warren Deutrom, chief executive of Cricket Ireland.

“We now find ourselves in the position to push ahead with this much-needed improvement to our sport.”

The International Cricket Council announced recently that the International Women’s Championship will expand from eight to 10 teams after 2021.

With Ireland currently 10th in the world rankings, the board said it realises “the opportunity is within Irish cricket’s grasp to cement a place when qualification comes around”.

“The professionalism shown by our senior women’s team during preparation, qualification and performance at the recent ICC World T20 was a demonstration this side of our sport is ready to progress and grow,” Deutrom added.

Cricket Ireland also confirmed negotiations have progressed with other full member nations on international women’s fixtures in Ireland in the summer of 2019, which will be announced in January.

The global qualifying tournament for the 2020 Women’s T20 World Cup in Australia will take place in

2019.