Ed Joyce has called on the International Cricket Council to give 'ample notification' of the new dates for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier.
The Ireland head coach also expressed his understanding for the postponement of the event which will see three teams progress to the 2021 World Cup.
The qualifying event - consisting of ten teams - was due to take place in Sri Lanka between 3 and 19 July but the but the ICC confirmed the postponement today and said it is working with all Member nations to find a new date.
"Naturally we are disappointed to see this important qualifying tournament postponed, but it is an understandable situation given the circumstances," said Joyce.
"The chance to qualify for a World Cup is always a big moment in a player’s career, and I know - before lockdown – the performance squad were well positioned, some in Ireland and others playing club cricket during the Irish winter in Australia.
"We had a lead-in programme in place for the qualifier before the pandemic hit, but – like everyone else – we’ve had to adapt quickly to lockdown conditions."
Just like all other levels of the Ireland internaional set-up, the senior women's squad have had to imporvise throughout the lockdown.
Joyce admits though, that there's no substitute for being out on the pitch.
"We have continued fitness programmes and held numerous team learning sessions via video-conferencing over the last two months, but despite the opportunities that these sessions offer, there is no substitute to getting out and playing, so we’re all eager to get out and play when conditions permit," Joyce said.
"The fixture schedule ahead is certainly going to be a busy one for all cricket nations given the postponements, and we’ll need to develop a preparation programme in the lead up to the tournament, so we hope the ICC can give ample notification of the new dates.
"It is a challenging time for everyone, but we have a resilient young squad and I know they’ll be dedicated to the task once we’re back underway."
The ICC's head of events, Chris Tetley, said that they prioritised player welfare when calling off the qualifier and the European Division Two qualifier for the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup.
"Our priority during this difficult period is to protect the well-being of players, coaches, officials, fans and the whole cricket community and we will take well-informed, responsible decisions in relation to both postponing events and resuming international cricket.
"These are both important events with the Women’s CWC Qualifier one step away from New Zealand 2021 and the Europe qualifier which signifies the start of the U19 Cricket World Cup 2022 pathway.
We will work in partnership with the Members to find an appropriate window to reschedule these events as soon as is safe and practical to do so. I would like to thank the Members for their cooperation and continued support."
