Former England batsman Chris Adams appointed new national academy manager

Ireland have appointed former England batsman Chris Adams as their new national academy manager.

Adams, three times a County Championship-winning captain with Sussex, is to take over from Australian Craig Hogan — who is returning home for family reasons.

He also played in five Tests and five one-day internationals, and is an eye-catching appointment to work alongside Ireland's head coach John Bracewell.

Adams, 45, has had spells as Surrey team director and as a coaching consultant with Sri Lanka and Holland.

He said: “I am really looking forward to starting in my new role.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity to work with Ireland’s emerging talent, and I hope my experience and knowledge will help all the players and academy coaching staff achieve their potential.

“The goal will most definitely be to ensure that John Bracewell has the very best talent supply over the next few years, to ensure we remain on course to be competitive across all three forms of the game at the highest level. ”