Cricket Ireland is set to give their senior women’s team professional contracts for the first time from 2019. The decision was announced after the recently-concluded board meeting on December 12.

Cricket Ireland’s chief executive Warren Deutrom was delighted with the decision and said it was a step in the right direction.

“We are delighted to become one of a very select number of sports in Ireland to offer professional contracts to women players. It has been an ambition of ours for a number of years, and we now find ourselves in the position to push ahead with this much-needed improvement to our sport,” said Deutrom.

“The professionalism shown by our senior women’s team during preparation, qualification and performance at the recent ICC T20 World Cup was a demonstration that this side of our sport is ready to progress and grow.”

The board also stated it will take responsibility for active funding of women’s cricket at the grassroots level. “Around the world we see an uplift of interest, participation and standards of women’s cricket and we are gradually putting in place a system to ensure that we not only continue to compete with the top teams, but advance the sport from grass roots to international,” the statement added.