Warren Deutrom, jo lagbhag 19 saal se Cricket Ireland ke CEO rahe, August ke ant mein apna pad chhod rahe hain. Itna lamba waqt, aur ek aisa aadmi jo shayad apne aap ko cricket ka deewana maanta hai, ab keh raha hai, “Ab waqt aa gaya hai ki mein baton ko kisi aur ke haath mein de doon.” Yeh sun kar thodi si mayoosi toh banta hai, kyunki Deutrom ne Irish cricket ko ek chhoti si team se Test-playing nation tak ka safar karaya. Par yeh bhi sochne wali baat hai ki itne saalon ke baad, kya yeh sach mein ek nayi shuruaat ke liye jagah bana rahe hain, ya bas thak gaye hain?
Deutrom ka safar shuru hua December 2006 mein, jab Irish cricket ek chhoti si entity thi, jise duniya ke bade khiladi shayad hi seriously lete the. Unke tenure mein Ireland ne 2017 mein ICC Full Member status haasil kiya, jo cricket duniya mein ek bada maukaam hai – sirf 12 desh hi is elite club ka hissa hain. Iske alawa, Ireland ne March 2024 mein Afghanistan ke khilaaf apni pehli Test jeet darj ki, jo India ke 25 attempts ke mukable ek bada kaarnaama hai. Yeh yaad dilata hai 2011 ka woh Bangalore ka match, jab Ireland ne England ko World Cup mein hara kar sabko chaunka diya tha. Deutrom ke vision ne Ireland ko aise moments diye, jahan chhoti teams ne bade giants ko ghiraya.
| Achievement | Saal | Details |
|---|---|---|
| ICC Full Member Status | 2017 | Ireland ek Test-playing nation bana, 12 mein se ek. |
| Pehli Test Jeet | 2024 | Afghanistan ke khilaaf, 8 matches mein pehli jeet. |
| T20 World Cup Co-hosting Rights | 2030 | England, Scotland, aur Wales ke saath. |
| New Stadium Approval | 2028 | Dublin mein 4,000-seater permanent cricket stadium ke liye plan. |
Deutrom ne na sirf men’s cricket ko badhaya, balki Ireland Women’s team ko bhi ICC Women’s Championship (2022-25) mein jagah dilayi. Unhone ek naya stadium plan kiya, jo 2028 tak Dublin mein banega, aur 2030 T20 World Cup ke co-hosting ka mauka haasil kiya. Yeh sab unke vision ka hissa tha, jise unhone economic crash aur Covid jaisi challenges ke bawajood aage badhaya. Ek waqt toh unhone apni pocket se €100,000 ka loan bhi diya tha jab Cricket Ireland financial crisis mein thi – yeh dikhata hai ki cricket unke liye sirf naukri nahi, junoon tha.
Lekin ab jab woh ja rahe hain, dil mein ek chhoti si khushi jagti hai. Ireland jaisi chhoti team ab bhi cricket ke bade stage par apni jagah bana rahi hai, aur shayad yeh naye leadership ke liye ek mauka hai. Deutrom ne ek mazboot buniyaad chhodi hai – ab naya CEO is legacy ko kaise aage badhata hai, yeh dekhna baaki hai. Par ant mein ek chhoti si chubhan bhi hai – kya yeh nayi shuruaat utni hi shandaar hogi, ya cricket ke is chhote se desh ke liye challenges aur badhenge jab bade desh apni taakat dikhayenge?
