Ireland unveil Test cricket vision

[IrishOpener]

Thanks everyone for the backing, it seems that 99.999% of the people who have read this across the world are in favour of it happening, I don't think there is anyone involved in Cricket Ireland who aren't passionate about this and making it a reality...

 

[Bonnie Prince C]

I am fully behind them. While I am a Scottish fan, I am all for my Celtic cousins doing well too.

While I am all for it, I am not fully convinced that they are actually ready or even 8 years away from having enough depth in Irish cricket to support a decent FC structure or a Test team. I support the idea of Ireland, Scotland and Holland coming together and trying to develop a "European" FC structure between them initially. I think this would create a better competition, allowing future internationalists to compete at a better standard, thus preparing them better. It would also allow for in the future when an individual nation was ready to support their own FC structure they would have more cricketers used to playing multi-day cricket and a good standard of cricket.

 

[Prince EWS]

I am fully behind them. While I am a Scottish fan, I am all for my Celtic cousins doing well too.

While I am all for it, I am not fully convinced that they are actually ready or even 8 years away from having enough depth in Irish cricket to support a decent FC structure or a Test team. I support the idea of Ireland, Scotland and Holland coming together and trying to develop a "European" FC structure between them initially. I think this would create a better competition, allowing future internationalists to compete at a better standard, thus preparing them better. It would also allow for in the future when an individual nation was ready to support their own FC structure they would have more cricketers used to playing multi-day cricket and a good standard of cricket.

Yeah, I like that idea.

 

[Furball]

If they get it, they have to hope their players don't lose the benefits they currently get in training etc with county clubs, because IMO if they lose that then they're screwed.

Also, are the full Test regulations for importing players the same as the ODI regs?

If Ireland had Full Member status, then any player who appeared for them in an ODI would be ineligible for any other nation for 4 years.

As the system stands just now, we get the farcical situation where Eoin Morgan can play ODIs for Ireland in a World Cup qualifier and Dirk Nannes can play for the Netherlands at the World T20, yet switch instantly to England and Australia respectively, and as soon as they're capped, be ineligible for Ireland and the Netherlands again for 4 years.

Also, Ireland can go **** themselves [/stillbitterabout2007]

 

[Howe_zat]

I am fully behind them. While I am a Scottish fan, I am all for my Celtic cousins doing well too.

While I am all for it, I am not fully convinced that they are actually ready or even 8 years away from having enough depth in Irish cricket to support a decent FC structure or a Test team. I support the idea of Ireland, Scotland and Holland coming together and trying to develop a "European" FC structure between them initially. I think this would create a better competition, allowing future internationalists to compete at a better standard, thus preparing them better. It would also allow for in the future when an individual nation was ready to support their own FC structure they would have more cricketers used to playing multi-day cricket and a good standard of cricket.

Magners League style? Not a bad idea at all.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Magners League style? Not a bad idea at all.

5/8 of this year's Heineken Cup quarter-finalists play in it, so not a bad model to follow.

 

[IrishOpener]

On a side note, Tim Murtagh has become an Irish citizen, awaiting his passport before he can be available for selection...

 

[Prince EWS]

On a side note, Tim Murtagh has become an Irish citizen, awaiting his passport before he can be available for selection...

Pretty massive if he's available to play. Should really dominate at associate level.

 

[morgieb]

Pretty massive if he's available to play. Should really dominate at associate level.

Yeah he'd easily be their best bowler. How does Murtagh qualify for Ireland though?

Is Marshall allowed to play for Ireland yet?

 

[vic_orthdox]

I really like Scaly's idea of having teams at the level of Bangladesh, and Ireland, playing all their games at home. They will get their behind handed to them away, but on their own turf they are more likely to be competitive. And if they are looking really competitive, then they can start playing away games against Test opposition.

 

[Prince EWS]

I really like Scaly's idea of having teams at the level of Bangladesh, and Ireland, playing all their games at home. They will get their behind handed to them away, but on their own turf they are more likely to be competitive. And if they are looking really competitive, then they can start playing away games against Test opposition.

Yep. I still think they should go on tour, but they should play A teams and such when they do, or other teams at their level of course. Certainly have no problem with Zimbabwe playing Bangladesh in Zimbabwe for example.

 

[Furball]

I really like Scaly's idea of having teams at the level of Bangladesh, and Ireland, playing all their games at home. They will get their behind handed to them away, but on their own turf they are more likely to be competitive. And if they are looking really competitive, then they can start playing away games against Test opposition.

How are Ireland supposed to get any good if they don't play in India, the land where performances matter 4 times as much?

 

[G.I.Joe]

How are Ireland supposed to get any good if they don't play in India, the land where performances matter 4 times as much?

Where does that argument come from anyway?

 

[Prince EWS]

How are Ireland supposed to get any good if they don't play in India, the land where performances matter 4 times as much?

There's really just no need to make a **** post like this. No-one was discussing this topic in here and it does nothing but inflame matters and potentially ruin a good thread.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

On a side note, Tim Murtagh has become an Irish citizen, awaiting his passport before he can be available for selection...

Source? Shame these guys switch allegiances at such a late stage. He's got to be early 30s by now, I'd reckon.

Whatever happened to Adrian McCoubrey?

 

[BoyBrumby]

Source? Shame these guys switch allegiances at such a late stage. He's got to be early 30s by now, I'd reckon.

Whatever happened to Adrian McCoubrey?

I dunno about him acquiring a passport, but he was expressing an interest last year. From the BBC.

Like a lot of us Poms (self included) he has Irish grandparents.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

I dunno about him acquiring a passport, but he was expressing an interest last year. From the BBC.

Like a lot of us Poms (self included) he has Irish grandparents.

Reminiscent of Jack Charlton's squad selections at Italia '90/USA '94.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Reminiscent of Jack Charlton's squad selections at Italia '90/USA '94.

FAI stood for "Find An Irishman" as the old joke had it.

Fair play to Dial M tho; worthy county seamer. In years gone by he'd probably have been given a "horses for courses" test dart at Headingley a la Steve Watkin or Neil Mallinder by now.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Andy sodding Townsend. As Irish as a New Zealand St. Patrick's Day party.

They'd have themselves a handy team, to be sure, the Irish. Even at the moment, if they could get their best 11 on the field, they'd give some of the lesser Test teams a game.

 

[IrishOpener]

Hamish Marshall afaik is still being discussed, the Irish Board and ECB are in discussion about it, and I'm told they still hope he will be free to play with Ireland,


If we could make one more addition and add in Hamish Marshall, mixed with the upcoming youth then I would be very happy, as a side like this could be very competitive against any team IMO,

Porterfield,
Stirling,
Joyce,
Marshall,
Niall O'Brien,
Kevin O'Brien,
Mooney,
Murtagh,
Dockrell,
Rankin/TJ or add in the extra specialist batsman of Cusack,

either way that is a pretty good team I think,

I'm not saying we will, but if we did get test status, and set up our first-class system, then you might have a lot of English, Aussies, Kiwi's, etc with Irish heritage wanting to try play FC cricket here, one good thing is throughout the years we Irish got around and left a lot of footprints around the world

I'd also say we could compete away from home with this team, I think we could compete against NZ, West Indies, Sri Lanka...