Cricket:Ireland has been awarded extra funding of $1.5 million (€1.16 million) from the International Cricket Council after becoming the first member to finalise an agreement under the ICC's Targeted Assistance and Performance Programme (Tapp).
Cricket Ireland chief executive Warren Deutrom signed the agreement alongside ICC president Alan Isaac in Dubai earlier in the week, with the funds earmarked to help set up a first-class cricket structure in Ireland, the development of an academy system and to facilitate fixtures against full member countries.
Cricket Ireland is one of five ICC members to have been awarded funding under this new targeted initiative which is aimed at developing more competitive teams at the highest levels of the international game, with the funding provided through to 2015.
Deutrom said upon signing the agreement: “We are extremely grateful to the ICC for instituting such a forward-thinking programme of support and we’re delighted to be the first member to get to this stage. We have no doubt that Tapp will help us to be even more competitive on the world stage.”
Isaac added: “I am delighted to have witnessed the signing of the first Tapp agreement this week here in Dubai. Cricket Ireland provided an excellent submission to the ICC board and I am sure they will do their very best to deliver those plans now that the organisation has the funding in place.”
Further Tapp awards have been provided to the cricket boards of the Netherlands, Scotland, the West Indies and Zimbabwe with the details of these programmes currently being finalised.
