Ireland For Test Status?

[Jamee999]

I'd like the ECB to create an FC entity in Ireland and let them play in the county championship first. Aside from county members would anyone honestly miss one of the east midlands Kolpak counties?

I would

Playing cricket should, ideally, be completely independent of nationalistic identity.

So would you rather have the London Llamas playing against the Dallas Demons than England playing against Australia? Test cricket is played by countries - of course it has national identity involved - all international team sports do!

 

[laksh_01]

The points are fine but how would u expect someone to develop if u dont give them proper chance? Ireland have proved best in wat ever chance they were offered. Its time for next level so things become more serious & professional. Some one said that how could Ireland be offered if the passion is low - How do U expect a youngster to come up passionately if there is no promising future offered as in india or Bangladesh? Not only Ireland, stop the funding in junior level & even in Cricket mad nations like India the sport will crash in no time. Come on guys if not complete test status atleast Two tier has to be intraduced -

Div 1:
Aus
Saf
Ind
Srl
Pak
Eng
Win
Nzl

Div 2:
Ban
Zim
Irl
Ken
Sco

Promotion & relegation Series at the end of every Decade (or something else). That's how things imp & the game expands - Less One sided & more competation than now... Surely worth a try.

 

[brockley]

I dunno NZ pretty threadbare these days not muh between them and bangladesh,so disagree on the top 8 sides.
Oh and england did beat them in back to back series it is england tho

 

[Goughy]

Id hate for Ireland to get Test status before Wales.

a) Ireland doesnt exist as an entity
b) Wales has good infrastructure (facilities and development)
c) Wales has paid its dues for a long time

 

[Evermind]

I dunno NZ pretty threadbare these days not muh between them and bangladesh,so disagree on the top 8 sides.

Oh come on now. Seriously? Bangladesh have never produced a cricketer of the quality of Ryder or Taylor or McCullum. NZ are clearly test class. Let's see Bang beat NZ - then we'll start comparing.

It's not about the talent - it's about results. And when it comes to results Bangladesh have done ZERO.

 

[James_W]

Id hate for Ireland to get Test status before Wales.

a) Ireland doesnt exist as an entity
b) Wales has good infrastructure (facilities and development)
c) Wales has paid its dues for a long time

Ireland doesn't exist? It may not be a 'country' technically, but I'm pretty sure this island I live on is called Ireland.

 

[GIMH]

Id hate for Ireland to get Test status before Wales.

a) Ireland doesnt exist as an entity
b) Wales has good infrastructure (facilities and development)
c) Wales has paid its dues for a long time

Well neither does Wales (or England). Legally, England and Wales are one entity

 

[silentstriker]

I'm actually in favor of top eight being Tier 1, and next eight being Tier 2. At the end of five years, the top team from the bottom tier joins the upper tier for five years (while still playing in the bottom tier). At the end of the five years, the best team replaces the current one (or the current one stays), unless that team is deemed good enough to be a permanant member of Tier 1.

 

[Furball]

One thing that needs sorted is the issue of qualification.

It's not right that Eoin Morgan has played ODIs for Ireland recently in the World Cup qualifiers, but can be called up by England for the Test or ODI leg of the West Indies tour a matter of weeks later, yet as soon as he gets his England cap, he is ineligible for Ireland for 4 years.

IMO Associate players should always be eligible for their country of birth.

 

[brockley]

Europe is a good base for england as they have shown,associate teams will always want to play for england,if they are up to it and "english" england will pick them.
Abd lets face it with englands' indoor outdoor policy they will only a metter of time till nial 'brien and eoi morgan get a chance in the england team.
BTW who is irelands' overseas pro for the friends providential trophy.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Ireland's frustration at English poaching

From cricinfo.

Something surely needs to be done? I'm as patriotic a Pom as the next man, but this doesn't reflect too well on us. How will Ireland, or any other European country come to that, grow as a cricketing nation when we continue to cherry-pick the best players?

 

[Goughy]

From cricinfo.

Something surely needs to be done? I'm as patriotic a Pom as the next man, but this doesn't reflect too well on us. How will Ireland, or any other European country come to that, grow as a cricketing nation when we continue to cherry-pick the best players?

Well there is an argument that, by having the cherry of Test cricket, the players have something to aim for, stay in the game and develop.

If there was nowhere for them to go then maybe many would be lost to the game.

Not that I agree with it but there are two sides to every coin.

 

[Richard]

I just dont really understand why you would want Ireland and England to make up the same side? While I dont really object to your logic that it would be the same as the West Indies the circumstances are very different. I think that cricket should be encouraged to grow and merging Ireland with England would do no good for anyone.

Why not? It's the same people playing cricket whether England and Ireland are playing under the same banner or separate ones. The game has still been spread. As long as you're not bothered about trying to pretend to the International Olympic Committee that you've got a broader base than you actually have (in which case you might as well try to split-up all the West Indian territories), no-one concerned with spreading the game's gospel should give a flying **** about whether England and Ireland play under the same or separate banners.

I want England and Ireland to play together because it's eminently in the best interests of both to do so. It means Irish players don't have to waste years qualifying for England; it means a much higher number of Irish players can play (the hope might be that eventually Ireland could put three or four professional teams in the County Championship); and it means the team which is currently "England" can pick Irish players without this ridiculous rubbish about "poaching" players, and without having to wait an eternity to do so.

Sadly, as I say, it's unworkable, but if it was workable, it'd be absolutely best for everyone.

 

[Richard]

I have no issues this or any team gaining test status.

Why on Earth not? A team should be given Test and ODI status if it is capable of competing. And never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever otherwise. It dilutes the integrity of Test cricket.

There has never in Test history been a phase remotely like the last 8 years in which the presence of Bangladesh has produced so much utterly terrible "Test" cricket. As for the last few years when we've had essentially two tiers of ODIs (those involving top-8-vs-top-8 and those involving bottom-8-vs-bottom-8 or top-8-vs-bottom-8), well, it's plain madness.

 

[Richard]

So would you rather have the London Llamas playing against the Dallas Demons than England playing against Australia? Test cricket is played by countries - of course it has national identity involved - all international team sports do!

If the London Llamas were the team I'd grown-up supporting, of course I would. As it is, I've grown-up supporting the team which is England, so that's how I'm happiest with it.

But I have never drawn any more of a line between England and Ireland (or England and Wales) than I have between Yorkshire and Lancashire. As far as I'm concerned, the British Isles are stronger united than they are divided - whatever political entities are involved.

 

[Chemosit]

abstain from the vote as I think that there is already a problem with too much Test cricket.

HOWEVER and I have said this elsewhere, there should be a two tier system with promotion and relegation in place based purely on results. 8 in each tier to start with and play offs to determine who stays up/goes down.

Cricket will expand and it is crucial that the quality of Test cricket be protected. At the same time, it defies reason that upcoming teams do not get a fair chance at breaking into the top level.

On a similar note, I think the current WC qualifiers have proven that a similar system would probably work very well for ODIs.

 

[silentstriker]

What would the combined associate XI look like? What if Bangaldesh and Zimbabwe were included?

 

[Migara]

What would the combined associate XI look like? What if Bangaldesh and Zimbabwe were included?

Associate Test XI

Niall O'Brien (IRE)
Vusi Sibanda (ZIM)
Steve Tikolo (KEN)
Ryan ten Doschate (NED)
Shakib Al Hasan (BAN)
Tatenda Taibu (ZIM)
Gavin Hamilton (SCO)
Mashrafe Mortaza (BAN)
Boyd Rankin (IRE)
Ed Rainsford (ZIM)
Raymond Price (ZIM)

ODI XI
Rizwan Cheema (CAN)
Niall O'Brien (IRE)
Steve Tikolo (KEN)
Ryan ten Doschate (NED)
Shakib Al Hasan (BAN)
Tatenda Taibu (ZIM)
Elton Chigambura (ZIM)
Thomas Odoyo (KEN)
Mashrafe Mortaza (BAN)
Boyd Rankin (IRE)
Raymond Price (ZIM)

 

[Smudge]

I dunno NZ pretty threadbare these days :

We still have no need for Cameron Merchant though, do we, Brockley? Where's the object of your little affection now? Wallowing on the edge of first-class cricket, that's where.

 

[Pup Clarke]

What would the combined associate XI look like? What if Bangaldesh and Zimbabwe were included?

Would plump for in Tests...

Nafees, Hamilton, Shakib, Morgan, RTD, Snyman, Taibu, Mortaza, Blain, Rankin, Price