Deutrom hits back at 'crisis' claims

Warren Deutrom, the CEO of the Irish Cricket Union, has hit back at reports that the game in Ireland is in crisis following a year where they will struggled to break even despite their success at the World Cup.

The ICU needed a grant of £250,000 from the Irish Sports Council to stabilise it during the season after extra costs associated with the World Cup, and the predicted windfall from a series of high-profile ODIs with India and South Africa was undermined by poor weather. But Deutrom says Ireland's difficulties are similar to those faced by other nations.

"First, it is important to say that you are correct that it has been a difficult financial year for Irish cricket - that is a recognised fact and no-one disputes that," he said. "In that regard, we are probably no different to many other small national governing bodies that struggle to make ends meet. The World Cup was certainly not a 'cash bonanza' as you described it, and we have experienced tough times this year.

"It was a tough year financially for us, but we will get through it to the point whereby our new commercial structures will bear fruit, we will have an agreement for media rights in place, and significant monies from the ICC will flow down in 2009. These things take time, but we will get there through hard work, passion and dedication."

Deutrom added that there were a huge number of people working tirelessly to try and make Irish cricket a success. "We certainly do not claim to be perfect or infallible, but there is nothing but hard-work and passion for the sport in the ICU, whether it is the handful of employees or the army of enthusiastic volunteers who have put the sport where it is today."

And, Deutrom said, the fact that the Irish Sports Council and ICC were willing to help the ICU with its finances shows that the board has developed a sound footing which could be trusted and that people should be "applauding Irish cricket for developing these relationships to the extent whereby they are prepared to have confidence in us to manage this properly."

He pinpointed the awarding of the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 qualifiers to Belfast next year as a sign as to how highly Ireland are regarded. "ICC does not award such prestigious events to poorly-managed, inefficient administrations," he said.

In relation to the lack of a sponsor since Bank of Ireland withdrew earlier this year, Deutrom said these large negotiations take time and added that the board "are in the middle of talks with a major brand," and as such it is at a very delicate stage and can't be discussed in public.