Holdsworth is new Ireland performance director

Cricket Ireland has appointed Richard Holdsworth as its new performance director. Holdsworth, the current ICC regional development manager for Europe, will replace Mark Garaway, who resigned last month. Holdsworth's focus will include managing the performances of all the national squads, coaches and managers.

"Having worked closely with Cricket Ireland over the past eight years, I am delighted to become part of a very successful Associate member country," Holdsworth said. "I very much look forward to building further on Cricket Ireland's successful development of the game, particularly the performance of its international men's, women's and youth teams, who I believe have immense talent, fighting spirit and share a great passion for the game."

Holdsworth has a degree in sports studies from the University of Gloucestershire and has been with the ICC since 2003. He is also a Level 3 coach and took up a professional role in 1995 with Gloucestershire, where he spent seven years as development manager. He played for the Gloucestershire second XI from 1989 to 1991 and later with Herefordshire in the Minor Counties from 1991 to 1993.

"We are fortunate indeed to retain someone of Richard's undoubted calibre and great credibility, and it speaks volumes for our progress that we continue to attract the best in the business," Warren Deutrom, Cricket Ireland's chief executive, said. "He has a very strong reputation in the international cricket fraternity, particularly through his role as the head of ICC's European operation for the last eight years, and who better to take forward the ambitious objectives outlined in the 2009 Holdsworth report into the future of Irish domestic cricket than its author."