Graeme West, currently serving as the high-performance manager for Cricket West Indies (CWI), is set to take on the role of director of high performance at Cricket Ireland (CI). West's tenure with CWI began in 2012, during which he worked closely with emerging talent from the West Indies. He notably coached the West Indies team to victory in the 2016 Under-19 World Cup. Over the years, he has contributed to the development of the U-19 and 'A' teams, and in his recent position, he focused on creating academy programs and expanding the pool of coaches. He will take on similar responsibilities in Ireland, beginning next month.
Prior to his time with CWI, West spent five years at the Middlesex academy, where he worked with several Ireland internationals, including Paul Stirling, Andy Balbirnie, Andrew Poynter, and Stuart Poynter. Although West never played professional cricket himself, he holds an ECB Level 4 coaching qualification.
Expressing his enthusiasm for the new role, West stated that he was excited to join Cricket Ireland as it continues to grow and evolve. He highlighted Ireland’s 2024-27 Strategic Plan and looked forward to bringing his experience and approach to help further establish Ireland as a significant force in international cricket.
Cricket Ireland’s chief executive, Warren Deutrom, pinpointed that West’s appointment is a crucial step in ensuring Ireland’s readiness as a "fit-for-purpose Full Member" of the ICC. He explained that West's leadership, mentoring abilities, and people skills made him an ideal candidate for the role. As CI continues to expand its operations in line with its Full Member status, Deutrom expressed confidence that West would play a key role in driving this evolution.
Ireland's senior men's team is preparing for a white-ball tour in the UAE against South Africa later this month, while the senior women’s team is set to host England for three ODIs and two T20Is, beginning this Saturday.