Malan departure: blow for Irish cricket — or time to trust our own?

Heinrich Malan’s departure as Ireland Men’s Head Coach will be viewed by some as a blow, especially coming with his share price high after those two landmark T20 wins over India.

But maybe, just maybe, this is not the setback some will paint it as. Maybe it is the moment Irish cricket finally stands on its own two feet and puts real faith in Irish coaches.

For too long there has been a sense that the answer must come from outside. A coach from somewhere else. A voice from another system. A big-name appointment to reassure the doubters that we are serious.

But look around. The evidence is staring us in the face.

Gary Wilson is now in charge. Ed Joyce has already shown what can be done with the Ireland Women’s squad. John Mooney has coached at franchise and international level. Trent Johnston, Jeremy Bray, Kevin O’Brien, Boyd Rankin, Andre Botha and William Porterfield have all walked the walk in Irish colours and have so much to offer.

Add in Ryan Eagleson, Pete  and Simon Johnston, Brian O’Rourke, Nigel Jones and Albert van der Merwe, all involved in the system in different ways, and there is a serious coaching base there. These are people who know Irish cricket, know the clubs, know the culture, know the fight it took to get here.

They deserve their chance.

Wilson has spoken about pride in the shamrock. That matters. It should never be empty words or a marketing phrase. It should mean something. Irish cricket has always been at its best when there has been a strong sense of identity, togetherness and defiance. The best Ireland teams never looked like a franchise side assembled from parts. They looked like a team representing something.

That is why Malan’s exit feels less like an ending and more like an opportunity.

There would be no great surprise if William Porterfield were approached to join Wilson’s set-up. They go back a long way, and there is a natural logic to it. Porterfield’s standing in Irish cricket is beyond question. He knows what international standards look like, and he knows what the shirt means.

There may be some concern in certain circles that things are becoming a little too Northern-centric. That is worth watching, because Irish cricket cannot afford to become narrow in outlook. The game belongs to Belfast, Dublin, Bready, Cork, Waringstown, Pembroke, Donemana, Clontarf, North County, Brigade, Instonians and everywhere in between.

But the answer to that is not to distrust Irish coaches. It is to make sure the coaching structure has breadth, balance and visibility.

And that brings us to the biggest issue I had with the Malan era.

For all his technical qualities, and I have no doubt he has plenty, Malan never really spread the gospel.

An Ireland coach should have an almost evangelical quality. He should be out there, seen, heard and felt. He should be at clubs, at interpros, at youth games, talking to people, selling the dream, making the wider cricket community feel part of the journey.

Adi Birrell did that. Phil Simmons did that. They understood that Irish cricket is not just the eleven players on the field. It is a network of clubs, volunteers, parents, coaches, scorers, groundsmen, journalists, supporters and former players. It is small enough that relationships matter, but big enough now that leadership has to be visible.

Malan never seemed to grasp that.

After more than four years in the job, I feel I know almost as little about him now as I did when he arrived. He rarely smiled. He rarely gave the impression that he wanted to engage. He seemed insular. Distant. Hard to warm to.

I remember being in the Netherlands, one of only two journalists or media there. Malan was four feet away from me. Rather than talk, even briefly, he did a U-turn and avoided me.

Now, that is his choice. Coaches do not have to love the media. Many tolerate us at best. But it is a dangerous game to have little or no time for the press when results are not going your way. It is fine when the team is winning. It becomes a problem when the 50-over World Cup qualifiers go wrong, or when T20 World Cup performances disappoint, England in Melbourne aside.

Media are not the enemy. They are part of the ecosystem. In a sport still fighting for space, coverage and relevance, shutting people out rarely helps.

The same applies to the clubs. Malan was rarely seen at interprovincial matches, and there was no real sense that he ever “got the room” by going around the clubs and engaging with the people who keep the game alive. That, for me, was a major failing.

Gary Wilson and his coaching team now have a chance to do things differently. The same applies to the women’s squad and their coaches. They need to become, in the best possible way, like Jehovah’s Witnesses. Get out. Knock doors. Meet people. Talk cricket. Sell the vision. Spread the good news.

Club cricket in Ireland is incredibly important. It is not an inconvenience. It is not background noise. It is the foundation. Ignore it and the international game becomes detached. Embrace it and the whole sport can grow.

The timing could hardly be better. Those wins over India have created a buzz. There is goodwill, excitement and curiosity. Now is the moment for Irish cricket to make a genuine, concerted effort to connect the national teams with the grassroots.

Malan leaves with notable wins on his CV, and nobody can take those away from him. I am sure his wife and family will be happier in sunnier climes, and his technical skills will find another home.

But Irish cricket should not mourn too long.