Ireland want Bracewell replacement by November

LONDON: Ireland chiefs say they hope to hire a successor to departing head coach John Bracewell by November.

Bracewell is set to leave at the end of his two-year contract in December, only six months after Ireland were granted full-member Test status alongside Afghanistan.

The New Zealander took over from Phil Simmons after the 2015 World Cup and, despite a mixed record over the past year, the International Cricket Council rewarded Ireland with Test status in June.

Ireland tour the United Arab Emirates in November and performance director Richard Holdsworth intends to find Bracewell’s replacement by then to give the new man time to assess his squad.

“We will be conducting a global search in an effort to make certain we get the right candidate for the head coach role,” Holdsworth said on Thursday.

“We hope to have the successful applicant in place for the tour to the UAE in late November, so they can take over the reins from John at the conclusion of the ICC InterContinental Cup game against Scotland.

“We’re looking for a coach with a broad spectrum of skills and ambitious plans as to how they will build further success for Irish cricket.”