Table of Contents
The Ireland National Cricket Team has appointed former England-Ireland cricketer Ed Joyce as the new High Performance Batting Coach. He will be looking after the young talent and the senior men’s batting. This is the first role for the Irish international since stepping down from the Ireland Women’s National Cricket Team.
Ireland has been in good form in the T20I format as they clean-swept the India National Cricket Team 2-0. However, they were outplayed by Afghanistan in the ODI. Ireland sits 12th in the ODI standings, missing the automatic qualification threshold. They are in contention for the tournament through the qualification pathway. Ireland will compete in the 10-team ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Qualifier.
"Has been an absolute asset to Irish cricket": Graeme West on Ed Joyce's appointment as batting coach
After the appointment of their new high performance batting coach, Graeme West, who is the Director of High Performance for Cricket Ireland, stated that whether as a player or coach, Ed Joyce has been a key figure for Irish Cricket. The board is delighted to have him returning to the coaching role once again.
Graeme West, Director of High Performance for Cricket Ireland, said: “Whether as player or coach, Ed Joyce has been an absolute asset to Irish cricket and we are delighted to have him return to our coaching ranks.
“He was an outstanding and technically-renowned batter during his playing days, and his coaching abilities were on full display during his stint as Ireland Women’s head coach. With a busy off-season approaching, Ed’s appointment is timely and he will begin working with the players immediately.”
"A positive mindset are still crucial": Ed Joyce after being appointed as batting coach
Joyce was appointed Head Coach of Ireland Women in 2019, one year after retiring as a player, and he oversaw the senior women's squad's excellent period of development. His first reaction after becoming the batting coach, that he enjoyed working with the players and improving their mindset and techniques.
Ed Joyce said: “Once I retired from playing, staying involved in Irish cricket was a high priority for me. The head coach role with Ireland Women was a great experience and I enjoyed the day-to-day aspect of working with players on developing and improving their techniques and mindset.”
“The modern game has changed and evolved greatly in recent years – and whether it’s the men’s or women’s side of the sport, several fundamentals have held true. Despite the power game coming to the fore, having a sound technique and a positive mindset are still crucial aspects for any batter at this level.”
Ed Joyce thanks Graeme West
Joyce, after his appointment, praised the Ireland Men’s team as he feels they have put in the hard yards and developed a lot. He thanked Graeme West and head coach Gary Wilson for handing over the batting coach opportunity to him.
He further added, “When I look at the Ireland Men’s side over recent years, it’s obvious to see the amount of hard work that has gone on behind-the-scenes in preparing our players to be competitive on the international stage. I look forward to getting involved in this work and perhaps adding some insights and knowledge to push the batting group forward. The talent is there, the goal is now consistency.”
“Thanks to Graeme [West] and Wils [head coach Gary Wilson] for this opportunity – it’s always a pleasure pulling on the shamrock, and I have learnt to never take these opportunities for granted.”
