Next Test Nation???

[Janus]

Of course, things have changed dramatically even in less than a couple of decades (far more, safe to say, than they changed in the previous 60 or 70 years). Of course, there is now more to teams becoming Test-class than there was in that of Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and their predecessors. Though remember, of course, that Zimbabwe was for many years in cricketing terms part of South Africa. Likewise, Pakistan was simply a new political entity carved out of India.

But the thing that has not changed is that you cannot force cricket on those who do not wish to take it. Even the most enthusiastic, Kenya, Holland, Canada and (I say hesitently) USA currently have nowhere near the following to be challenging the big boys.

And I$C$C are doing far too much of this forcing for my liking, wasting money badly in doing so.

Richard Why when the Associates are talked about to you always forget about Ireland? I'd be tempted to say Political agenda but that's absurd these days. Maybe it's just you see more in Canada than Ireland?

 

[Richard]

I still think the chances of a Test-class Ireland are as low as they've ever been. The best Irish players always have wanted to and have played in and for the team known as "England", as it's always been as open to them as those from Yorkshire, Sussex or Oxfordshire.

Or Powys or Dyfed, for that matter. Or Lanarkshire.

 

[Janus]

I still think the chances of a Test-class Ireland are as low as they've ever been. The best Irish players always have wanted to and have played in and for the team known as "England", as it's always been as open to them as those from Yorkshire, Sussex or Oxfordshire.

Or Powys or Dyfed, for that matter. Or Lanarkshire.

I know that a problem and If I had a choice I'd drag them back to Ireland and remind them that if they play for us we'll be a test quality side in no time but it still doesn't excuse the fact that you've listed Canada's chances above Ireland's when Canada couldn't be a Team of dead flies.

 

[Richard]

Right now of course they couldn't, and nor could USA until the govornance of the game is sorted-out. But the game unquestionably has potential in both countries due to Asian migrants.

However, I don't particularly want to drag players anywhere. I'm more than happy for Irish and UK cricket to be one big happy family TBH.

 

[Janus]

Right now of course they couldn't, and nor could USA until the govornance of the game is sorted-out. But the game unquestionably has potential in both countries due to Asian migrants.

However, I don't particularly want to drag players anywhere. I'm more than happy for Irish and UK cricket to be one big happy family TBH.

Quite a few Asian migrants in Ireland. The think is Richard your Idea's don't hold water, I know that Ireland has a dedicated cricket community and with the regular mercenaries it makes for a good setup. The Investment just isn't there for them to go professional.

Note: Don't start about the mercenaries as England have loads of them...

 

[Richard]

Mercenaries?

 

[andruid]

Mercenaries?

yep

 

[Jamee999]

Rich (or someone else, I guess), what was the process for Zimbabwe gaining Test status?

 

[andruid]

Rich (or someone else, I guess), what was the process for Zimbabwe gaining Test status?

One source

 

[Richard]

Indeed, a fascinating story it is. There's parts of that even I'd never read before.

 

[andruid]

As I stated earlier in the other Non Test thread

I have been meaning to have an enormous rant about Top Associate teams, Kenya especially not getting enough of the right sort of cricket to cross the gap between themselves and the next level but Martin Williamson's beaten me to punch

Also Steve Tikolo airs similar views in this interview here

Latest to voice his frustration is Cricket Kenya Chairman Sanim Inamdar

 

[Jonty Lathwal]

Ireland is the deserving nation........

 

[slugger]

re: the irish players who for go the chance to play for their country just incase they're selected for england.. strangely has a striking similarty here in NZ when many pacific Is. players for-go playing for their own country (Is.) just incase they are picked for the ALL Blacks..

 

[laksh_01]

With the way Ireland are playing these days, winning consistently, New players performing well, winning two Intercontinental Cups & about to reach the final of the third & loosing most of their experienced players to join Test Nations don't U think Ireland should be considered for Test Status & take them a step faw???

 

[Goughy]

With the way Ireland are playing these days, winning consistently, New players performing well, winning two Intercontinental Cups & about to reach the final of the third & loosing most of their experienced players to join Test Nations don't U think Ireland should be considered for Test Status & take them a step faw???

Its interesting. They are better than the smaller countries (Kenya included) but they are not even County standard. Therefore Test cricket is a stretch. And average players will not get better just by being exposd to Test cricket. They have 2 massive problems. They have hardly any seam bowling resources and they lack depth in batting (they do not have 6 good batsman in the country).

Id be interested in seeing them play against Zim or Bang is a long format home and away but, unfortunately, they are not good enough for Test cricket at the moment.

Now an EU Test team would be a different story, have I mentioned that before...?

 

[andruid]

Poor show from Kenya really. Shows the difference of putting your young talent through the preparation of a proper domestic circuit (the County Chamionship) and just throwing in the prodiguos teenagers and hoping they swim rather than sink. (I mane the differences between Kenya and Ireland's batting performances)

 

[andruid]

Following on and the Kenyans have decided to tinker wityh the batting lineup again. Kennedy Otieno opening with Waters. BLOODY HELL EXCEPT FOR TIKOLO At 4 KENYA'S BATTING LINEUP HAS BEEN REDUCED TO A GAME OF MUSICAL CHAIRS

 

[chaminda_00]

Yeah the problem with Ireland is depth. We all seen how crap their players are once you get past the top 6-8 players that are near FC/county standard.

The thing with Kenya it not like there no is chances to play in higher level of cricket. Most the Irish players play 2nd XI county cricket, or in secondary leagues around the world. There not that many that are actually 1st team players. The no real reason why Kenya players if good enough can't play in the secondary FC comp in SA, or lower league stuff around the world. There main problem is that isn't encouraged by KCA and prefer them to stay at home for domestic camps and domestic tournments of lower standards.

Also considering the leg up Namibia have gotten off South Africa by having a domestic side. Kenya could do the same if they were better organised or less self orietented. The main reason why they have dropped back to pack or behind is poor management on their behalf.

 

[andruid]

I do not think there is anything wrong with Cricket Kenya wanting to have a domestic structure that features all the formats of the game including FC cricket, in fact I feel that it would be beneficial for those who do go abroad to play club cricket that they get to sample this sort of cricket at home so they find it a little easier to settle in in a more developed cricket system.Though I do agree with you they are not doing enough to push the youngsters to find more challenging cricket opportunities in places like South Africa. Being as Kenya's domestic season is still very much modelled around the same calendar season as the English it would be nice to see guys like Obanda, Rakep Patel and so forth spending their off season playing grade cricket in Australia or for provincial teams in South Africa

One thing I found particularly strange about this match is the absence of Ragheb Aga from the side. It seems after the T20 qualifiers the selectors forgot he exists.

I think Imight launch a tirade about it in my blog, Thomas Odoyo has been quoted in several interviews saying that players are going into the Kenya team without any real preparation to make the jump from youth cricket to senior professional cricket. Cricket Kenya started sending a 'A' teams out on tours (the bilateral series against denmark and the warm up games against Canada and Bermuda for example) but there doesn't appear to be much in the way of making it into a permanent fixture like the for example the India Blues or England Lions are always on some sort of tour.

 

[Goughy]

There will never be more than 1 or 2 Kenyans, at most, playing provincial cricket in South Africa.

There just isnt the space and there isnt the money in Provincial cricket. And there is certainly no space in Franchise cricket. Also they would not count as quota players.

Any Province will be hurting themselves by playing Kenyans, on many levels, rather than being helped.

The only way SA FC cricket can help Kenyan cricket is to allow Kenya to enter a team in the Provincial Challenge as Namibia and Zimbabwe have done. Despite not being as beneficial as playing in other teams and mixing and learning from others, it is at least realistic.