Andrew Balbirnie relinquishes Ireland's captaincy after poor 2023 ICC ODI World Cup qualifiers campaign
After failing to secure qualification for the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup, Ireland captain Andrew Balbirnie stepped down from leadership duties on Tuesday, July 4. The Irish side performed poorly in the ongoing World Cup qualifiers in Harare and ended up in seventh place after their exit during the Group stages.
It was a dismal run for them as they lost against Oman, Scotland, and Sri Lanka in the group phase and only won one match against the United Arab Emirates. As a result, they failed to reach the super six stage, where the top two teams will get a chance to go to India to participate in the World Cup in October.
Andrew Balbirnie took responsibility for Ireland's disappointing run in the tournament and relinquished ODI and T20I captaincy with immediate effect. In a media release by Cricket Ireland, Balbirnie explained the rationale behind his decision, saying:
“After much thought and consideration, I have made the decision to step down as ODI and T20I captain. It has been one of my great honours to lead this team over the last few years and I am hugely grateful for all the support I received on and off the pitch from the many players, coaches."
On his future aspirations, Andrew Balbirnie continued:
“I feel this is the right time for me, but more importantly the team. I will continue to do my best for this team and work hard to contribute towards what I hope will be a successful period over the next number of years."
Balbirnie began his captaincy tenure in 2019 and went on to lead his nation in 89 matches across formats.
"Exceptionally dedicated captain": Ireland head coach hails Andrew Balbirnie
Ireland head coach Heinrich Malan also spoke about Balbirnie's decision and revealed that he respects the call. Malan opened up about the former Irish captain's dedication to the job during the tenure and stated he enjoyed working with him.
“While we completely respect Andrew’s decision to step down, for me, it is a poignant day," said Malan. "Andrew Balbirnie has been an exceptionally dedicated captain during his tenure, and I have greatly enjoyed working closely with him as captain."
Malan added:
"I know this was not a decision he took lightly, but one that he considered was best for the team. As a senior member of the squad, I very much look forward to continuing to work with him into the future."
Veteran batter Paul Stirling has been appointed as interim captain of the Ireland side.