Even worse Athlai. Sajeewa Weerakoon has 61 wickets @ 22.16.SL debut Senanayake FFS 48W @ 22.41 in A team matches.
Weerakoon is old though. Old people don't deserve to play Tests. Fact.Even worse Athlai. Sajeewa Weerakoon has 61 wickets @ 22.16.
A couple bats are coming through but there isn't all that much to get excited about on the bowling front.Let them play more FC games, they have quite a few decent players emerging in FC, so imo they can compete with lower ranked teams sooner or later.
zIs taking Test status away from them likely to help?
Does "Test status" really need to be an honorific?
I think this is a good idea combining all the associate teams. Would give people in Canada/Kenya and all the associate countries that have no shot at test cricket something to shoot for if they are good enough.Another suggestion: merge teams of BD, Zim, Ireland, Kenya, Nambia (iirc), Holland, etc to make one test team called the 'associates'
Oops I meant the Kolpak, ruling exempting folk with E.U passports from Player quotas, not Bosman. Anyway even if they don't show up and single handedly deliver the County Championship trophy, when they go back to their associate teams they utilise their skills on a much higher level than the contemporaries who don't get the kind of coaching thats given out in County Cricket teams for example. Look at Collins Obuya's batting vis-a-vis the rest of Kenya. Look at the difference between Ireland when they have their county pros and when they don't. Look at Holland without Ryan ten Doeschate.They already do, but only the best players get in (owing to a limited amount of spaces available) - the only domestic championship with enough spaces really is the English, and when the best Associate player is only really a mediocre county player, there's no wonder nobody else gets a go, to put it simply, they're not good enough.
Not sure what you mean by the Bosman ruling and Ireland, can't see any link at all between freedom of contract for individuals and an International team "taking advantage" of it.
Test status comes with a complete package:- Part of FTP, 15 times the funding, direct qualification into ICC Tournament, Vote in the executive committee. Well even if cricket is popular they are not performing and it is not like they did not get chances. And for teams which are showing the performance they are not getting any chances.^ That is a different issue to what this thread is about.
You can't take away Bangers test status so that they are treated equally with Ireland. (If that is what you are thinking). I also don't see the need for Ireland to be treated the same as Bangers.
I would rather Bangers succeed than Ireland anyways as cricket is popular in Bangerland.
Personally I feel it is high time to be making Test Cricket based on Merit. Just because one nation is a Test nation and the team level even worse than Associate does not give it any right to have direct qualification to World Cup or World Twenty20
It is time we have 2 Tier in Test
Tier 1:- Aus, Eng, Ind, NZ, Pak, SA, SL & WI
Tier 2:- Afg, BD, Can, Ire, Ken, Neth, Scot & Zim
2013 to 2017 The Tier remain the same
In 2017
Top 4 in Tier 1 play the World Test Championship
Bottom 2 Tier 1+ Top 2 Tier 2 play a Challenge Test Championship:- Top 2 make it into Tier 1 & rest 2 relegated back to Tier 2
Bottom 2 of Tier 2 get relegated back into World Cricket League
Bangladesh & Zimbabwe having Test Status and Ireland not having is highly fair for following reason
1. Bangladesh and Zimbabwe get share to 7.5% of ICC Earning each year which is roughly 7.5 M$ a year while teams like Afghans and Ireland just get meager 0.6 M$ a year. Due to this fact Bangladesh and Zimbabwe get money to tour other nations while Afghans and Irish have to work hard to make end meets and keep whole team professional
2. Bangladesh and Zimbabwe due to their test status in a non justifiable way make a direct entry into tournament like WC, World Twenty20 or Champion Trophy while Afghans and Irish have to fight with 12 or 16 teams to make it where just 1 upset can put them out of the tournament
3. BD and Zim get to be part of FTP where they get exposure against better teams while Afghans and Ireland have to beg for 1 or 2 ODI's
4. As being part of FTP they get to host nations like Ind, Eng, Pak or Aus which brings in additional income for the hosts which Irish or Afghan do not get
Zimbabwe and Bangladesh are not cut above Ireland or Afghans. They are better due to unfair advantage of more exposure and funding they have. Make the system more fair then it will be no problems
Test status comes with a complete package:- Part of FTP, 15 times the funding, direct qualification into ICC Tournament, Vote in the executive committee. Well even if cricket is popular they are not performing and it is not like they did not get chances. And for teams which are showing the performance they are not getting any chances.
Either we should define what is a test team and what is an Associate. In 2000 neither Kenya, Bangladesh or Ireland had first class status and just based on 1 victory in World Cup (They had not being good in the ICC Trophy before barely winning one) they got test status. After test status they got funding and had a First Class Structure Developed (So Called). The question is why do it only for Bangladesh and why not for Ireland or Afghanistan or Nepal(Cricket is no 1 game in Afghanistan and Nepal. For matches more than 10000 people turn out to watch their stars). The Afghans and Irish have shown some potential.
If funds are limited then distribute them in a limited way. No sense in spending just on Bangladesh just because they are a important vote.^This is a whole new thread topic. We have debated before, and will again, whether Ireland deserve test status. I never participated much in the thread as I am not an expert on Irish cricket. My personal vote is that we have enough struggling to make it teams in test match cricket right now. Adding a 3rd and 4th would be a terrible idea. When and if Bangers and Zimbos are a success or when we have given up on them we can try Ireland. I will take back this view if Ireland make the semi finals at the next world cup.
If you just want Ireland to be given more funding - I don't know what to say - I am sure funds are limited.
But the thing is, they're not good enough to be signed up. Counties would gain nothing from signing any of these players, so they're not going to, pure and simple.Oops I meant the Kolpak, ruling exempting folk with E.U passports from Player quotas, not Bosman. Anyway even if they don't show up and single handedly deliver the County Championship trophy, when they go back to their associate teams they utilise their skills on a much higher level than the contemporaries who don't get the kind of coaching thats given out in County Cricket teams for example. Look at Collins Obuya's batting vis-a-vis the rest of Kenya. Look at the difference between Ireland when they have their county pros and when they don't. Look at Holland without Ryan ten Doeschate.
With 3 wins out of 72 Test (1 against Zimbos and 2 against Windies B Team) and 62 losses I can't see ICC wasting more money. If anyone was a business he would have lost patience in 3 years and here it is 10 years.^ I have re-read your posts - I think Bangers deserve test status based on how they have played in the past 2 years ever since Tamim and Shakib started firing. I am alarmed how they have taken a step back. I am hoping this is temporary.
I think Zimbos deserve test status based on how well they played NZ.
Therefore I don't think we need a two tier system you have proposed.
If this means they are treated in a superior fashion to Ireland so be it. We need to concentrate our investments rather than spreading them around.
Once we give up on Bangers then we can do a second tier of tests like you have proposed. But it is not that time yet.