Mooney handed three-match suspension

Ireland all-rounder John Mooney will miss the first of the two One-Day Internationals against Pakistan in Dublin next month after he was handed a three-match suspension by Cricket Ireland following his tweet regarding the death of Margaret Thatcher.

In a post on his personal account, Mooney said he hoped the former British prime minister’s death had been “slow and painful”. He removed the tweet later on the same day before issuing an apology through Twitter the following day.

His three-match suspension is set to prove a deterrent to any future social media indiscretions from nationally contracted players, with the North County player also sitting out Leinster Lightning's opening two fixtures in the new Interprovincial competition.

That will see the 31-year-old miss the one-day game against the Northern Knights on May 6th and the three-day game against the North West Warriors from May 14th-16th. His suspension ends after the opening ODI against Pakistan on May 23rd in Clontarf, leaving him in line to face the same opposition on May 26th.

Mooney was found to be in breach of clause eight of his Cricket Ireland contract which prohibits players from any public statements which it considers “denigrates, is derogatory, or is prejudicial to the interests of cricket; or is of a nature which brings the game of cricket or Cricket Ireland into disrepute.”

Explaining the disciplinary proceedings against the player, Cricket Ireland chief executive Warren Deutrom said: "John accepted that the tweet was offensive and inappropriate. We took into consideration the fact that he issued a fulsome and swift apology and that he is genuinely remorseful for his action.

“ However given the breach of his contract and nature of the tweet, we felt it appropriate that a three-match sanction be imposed. We have also severely reprimanded John and reminded him of his duties and responsibilities as a high profile international cricketer.”