Philip Black named new Cricket Ireland President

Following a change to the Cricket Ireland Constitution to mitigate extraordinary circumstances such as the current pandemic, the members also voted for Mr Black’s term to extend to the AGM in 2022.

Mr Black has a long involvement in Irish cricket, including being Treasurer of the Irish Cricket Union (ICU), and being part of the team that led the incorporation process of ICU Ltd.

He has also been part of the Cricket Ireland Finance Committee for the last 14 years, a period during which annual revenues have increased from €400K to €10M.

He succeeds outgoing President David O’Connor who steps down after an exciting period during which Ireland Men played their first Test match against England at Lord’s, Ireland Men qualified for the T20 World Cup, and Ireland Women finished third at the T20 World Cup Qualifier, narrowly missing out on the main tournament.

On being approved as the new President, Mr Black said: “It is a great honour to become President, particularly to think of some of those that have preceded me.

"While the role is largely honorary, you are an ambassador for your country - meeting and greeting people whether home or away. It’s not only a proud day for my family and I, but for my club as well.

“The last president from CSNI Cricket Club was Simon Corlett, one of Ireland’s finest cricketers.

“Coming into the role, I was only thinking back the other day at the first Irish international match I saw - it was at Castle Avenue in September 1966. Ireland played a three-day game against the MCC, and while we lost a low-scoring match in poor weather, I can distinctly remember admiring the outstanding Alec O’Riordan who claimed eight wickets.

“But I have to say that my most memorable Irish cricket experience was to be in Bangalore in 2011 to see us beat England and Kevin O’Brien score the fastest World Cup century. When Ireland were 110-5, my travelling partner said to me ‘let’s head for the bright lights of Bangalore’. Fortunately, I said to hold on - what a good decision that was!

“While my older brother played, and is still associated with Phoenix CC, my own playing days began at age nine in Monkstown, Co Dublin, but I didn’t really get involved with club cricket until I joined Pembroke CC in 1974, and then North of Ireland CC in 1979 - which ultimately became CSNI CC in later years.”

“With three boys, I have been involved in coaching for many years, and can proudly claim that I played with Gary Wilson when he was a schoolboy at Ormeau - so I have seen his development throughout his career.

“We at CSNI were, of course, delighted when Gary returned to the club after his county career. He is now our Director of Cricket, and an outstanding role model for younger kids today.”

The AGM ‘attendees’ acknowledged the work of outgoing President David O’Connor, recognising the unfortunate circumstance that the final few months of his Presidency coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I was delighted to have been asked to be President and it was certainly an eye-opener to see the amount of work being done by our Chairman Ross McCollum, his hardworking Board of Directors and the staff in Head Office,” said the outgoing President.

"As they say: ‘A lot done, a lot more to do’.

“I very much enjoyed supporting all of our national teams, whether home or away, and seeing the dedication being put in by the players and coaches behind-the-scenes.

"I tried to also get to different clubs around Ireland over the year, but sadly my opportunities were cut short this year, which is a pity as I had hoped to visit particularly some of the new and emerging clubs that have started up in recent years.

“Certainly a major highlight personally was the first two days of the Lord’s Test – it was unforgettable. As was meeting Sir Garfield Sobers and the now sadly passed Sir Everton Weekes.

“But the main insight the role has given me was that while Ireland are now at the top table of world cricket, we still have to fight our corner, and continue to support those who are also on the way up.

"We have a mountain of work to do in order to fund and grow Irish cricket, and while the organisation is heading in the right direction, we are now – in a business sense - a SME and we need to develop the structures to continue this work.

“Incoming President Philip Black is coming in at a strange time, but I know he is well capable of dealing with all that will face him. I do hope that Helen and he will enjoy the role as much as Breege and I did.”

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Irish and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than five articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Thank you,

Alistair Bushe

Editor