Ireland coach Heinrich Malan has resigned a day after the historic series win in India

In an unexpected move, Heinrich Malan has stepped down as head coach of the Irish men’s cricket team. The bombshell announcement came less than 24 hours after he masterminded a historic 2-0 T20I series win against reigning world champions India in Belfast.

Ireland comfortably outclassed a Shreyas Iyer-led Indian team in the series opener on Friday before sealing a thrilling one-run victory in the second T20I on Sunday. handed the reigning world champions their first defeat in the series in the shortest format from August 2023.

Former wicketkeeper-batsman Gary Wilson has been appointed as the new head coach of the men’s national team, Cricket Ireland announced later on Monday.

The 40-year-old, who represented his country 292 times in a 15-year career before retiring in 2020, moves to the top job after serving as assistant coach of the senior team from 2022.

Wilson’s appointment marks a historic milestone for the sport domestically, making him the first Irish-born head coach of the men’s senior team in more than 30 years, following John Wills’ tenure in the early 1990s.

To ensure a seamless handover, Malan will work closely with Wilson in the coming month to prepare the team for their crucial ODI series against Afghanistan in August.

South African Malan, 45, who will take over the reins in 2022, informed his team and support staff of his decision on Monday morning. While Malan’s existing contract was to keep him at the helm until early 2027, he chose this moment of peak success to step down and ensure a smooth transition for the national set-up. The strategic exit gives Cricket Ireland a clear run ahead of the upcoming Fifties World Cup cycle.

Vacating the post, Malan now gives his successor Wilson a chance to take charge ahead of August’s crucial One Day International series against Afghanistan. The series will serve as the basis for Ireland’s preparation leading up to the high-stakes World Cup 50 qualifiers in early 2027.

Reflecting on an extremely fruitful four years in charge, Malan expressed immense satisfaction with the progress he had made at his side.

GREAT PRIDE

“It has been an absolute privilege to work with these players, staff and the wider Irish cricket community,” Malan said in his farewell statement.

“On the field, we can look back with great pride on our historic T20 World Cup win against England in Melbourne, our first ever Test win against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi, first ever Test win against Zimbabwe in Belfast, historic T20 series win at home against India and beating Pakistan, West Indies, South Africa, as well as directly qualifying for the T20 World Cup and beating our best teams in the World Cup.”

Malan leaves behind an enviable legacy that has fundamentally transformed Irish cricket. Under his leadership, the team secured three consecutive T20 World Cup qualifiers and recorded their first ever three Test match triumphs. More importantly, it leaves a highly sustainable development system with a significantly deeper pool of international-standard players.

Graeme West, Cricket Ireland’s director of high performance, paid tribute to Malan’s leadership, noting that recent discussions surrounding the team’s long-term cycle naturally coincided with the head coach’s desire to step back.

“He joined us at a challenging time and played a key role in the development of the Irish men’s set-up,” West said.

“Through his leadership, he has worked hard to increase the depth of playing talent within the Irish system, which will benefit the team immensely in the coming months and years.”

Malan departs with Irish cricket on an all-time high, leaving his successor with the perfect platform to chase world glory after 50.

– The end

Issued by:

Akshay Ramesh

Published on:

29 Jun 2026 16:08 IST