Dublin: Stuart Barnes has been appointed as the assistant head coach and national bowling lead of Ireland men’s cricket team.
Cricket Ireland has awarded an initial three-year contract to Barnes which will see him in the position until the end of the current World Cup cycle. He departs Somerset county cricket club and joins head coach Graham Ford in what may potentially be the busiest period ever for Ireland men, given the bilateral fixtures to be played across three formats and the chance to compete in three World Cup events.
“It was a great experience to link up with Graham Ford and the Ireland team for the recent ODI series against England at the Ageas Bowl. I loved the challenge of the international game and adding value wherever I could. The opportunity to continue this on a full-time basis for the next three years is incredibly exciting and I’m delighted to now be part of the team,” said Barnes.
“My time at Somerset has been shorter than I expected but I’m honoured to have been part of creating a bit of history and I have incredible memories and friendships that I will take with me. I can’t thank Andy Hurry, Jason Kerr, for the coaching staff and the squad enough and I wish them all the very best moving forwards,” he added.
Barnes supported Ireland during their recent series against England in mid-2020 in a similar role that which he will now take up full time in December.
Richard Holdsworth, High-Performance Director for Cricket Ireland, said: “Part of Stuart’s role will be to create a succession plan of bowlers – both spin and fast – to support the men’s national team in years to come. We are also keen for him to work with the senior women’s bowling unit when time permits, and he will assist Ed Joyce where he can to progress their skills.”
