Ireland and scotland to be kicked out by ecb

[JKL]

How many Scottish or Irish cricketers have played for England?

The last scottish player was Peter Such.

Before that the most notable was Mike Denness, who captained the team in 74-5

Of course the most famous player of Scottish stock would be Douglas Jardine

 

[roobarb]

Actually the last Scot was Gavin Hamilton with the rather impressive test figures of....





Mat Runs HS BatAv 100 50 W BB BowlAv 5w Ct St

1 0 0 0.00 0 0 0 - - 0 0 0

 

[Furball]

Only since 1997 and the inception of The ECB and the other 2 has there been a definition that England and Wales are one thing, Scotland is another and Ireland is another.

Scotland's had it's own cricket board for 100 years.

 

[Richard]

I know that. So has Kent. But only recently has Scotland been regarded as definitively separate from the team known as "England".

 

[Jonty Lathwal]

I was hoping that ECB would give them some first-class matches too.......but...

 

[Uppercut]

Wouldn't it just be so much easier if everyone recognised that the British Isles was better united than it was divided where cricket is concerned?

Such a proposal would be totally and utterly rejected out of hand by the majority of those north of the border and everyone south of it. May the idea now die a quick and painless death.

 

[Richard]

But why?

The idea of it being any other way was not even countenanced for over a century.

 

[Uppercut]

It's just a shocking idea. Firstly, the team would be predominantly, if not completely, English. So the real effect would be to rob the Irish of their cricket team. Secondly, the Irish just don't like the idea of unity with the English. It was that way for centuries, and the British government repeatedly screwed them around, so i don't imagine one person south of the border would be able to enthusiastically cheer on a "British Isles" cricket team with a straight face. I think you may underestimate the strength of anti-English feeling in Ireland. Not to say that they don't like English people, just that they want their own cultural identity.

For practical and administrative reasons it might seem like a good idea, but in reality it would be rejected out of hand.

 

[Uppercut]

Hmm that was a really poor post. I'm finding it quite hard to put into words why exactly, but let it suffice to say the idea repulses me, and would do so everyone on the island save a few of the more extreme unionists in the north.

 

[Richard]

That doesn't, particularly, surprise me. It does disappoint me though. I hate it when cultural baggage hangs over from generations, when it would be best left behind and dismissed from the mind totally.

BTW, I certainly feel that cricket in Ireland is strong enough currently, never mind potentially in future, to be at least equal of some counties.

Joyce has already had a crack (unfortunately not successful yet), and Morgan, Porterfield and Rankin would certainly be possibly useful additions down the track.

 

[Uppercut]

That doesn't, particularly, surprise me. It does disappoint me though. I hate it when cultural baggage hangs over from generations, when it would be best left behind and dismissed from the mind totally.

I strongly disagree with the concept of nationalism in general. But if you're going to actually have countries playing against each other, it has to be there to an extent or the matches will mean nothing to anyone. And it's not something that can be easily changed. There are times when i'd really love to have a good quality test cricket team to support, but i know if there was a British Isles team, i just wouldn't care how they did. It would feel somewhat false.

 

[Uppercut]

BTW, I certainly feel that cricket in Ireland is strong enough currently, never mind potentially in future, to be at least equal of some counties.

Joyce has already had a crack (unfortunately not successful yet), and Morgan, Porterfield and Rankin would certainly be possibly useful additions down the track.

The system at the moment screws them over somewhat, because they're amateur and players can so easily defect to England. It's well behind the two gaelic games, football and rugby anyway. It's quite ridiculously uncool of me to like cricket i'm afraid.

 

[Richard]

I strongly disagree with the concept of nationalism in general. But if you're going to actually have countries playing against each other, it has to be there to an extent or the matches will mean nothing to anyone. And it's not something that can be easily changed. There are times when i'd really love to have a good quality test cricket team to support, but i know if there was a British Isles team, i just wouldn't care how they did. It would feel somewhat false.

As I say - I can understand that. But it's a real shame. Amalgamating several nationally divided countries works (mostly[!]) in West Indies, with rivalries at times far more bitter than those between Wales\England\Scotland\NI\ROI.

The system at the moment screws them over somewhat, because they're amateur and players can so easily defect to England.

Yeah, absolutely - that's another reason why it'd work better if it were possible to simply unite the two (or three). It'd mean no "defection" was neccessary, there'd be no "stealing" look that there sometimes is currently, and it'd mean Irish players didn't have to waste time qualifying (which has possibly handicapped the near-30-year-old-now Joyce)