Where next for Ireland Cricket

dchris

Ireland Cricket has gone from strength to strength over the past number of years. We are now arguably the most widely recognised associate team in the World.

Cricket in Ireland is in it's infancy and should thrive in the future. However the threat of losing our home bred best to England is a massive threat.
Cricket is on par to become one of our most successful sports on an International stage, and perhaps already is.

The question I'm asking is what needs to be done to get Ireland Cricket to a standard whereby the sport can be respected at the top level.

I believe the weather will be a major feature in the future of big teams like Australia and South Africa coming to Ireland, so a ground that is somewhat retractable or indoor is a must.

I also think real contracts for players , not just paying a wage whereby they get something similar to what they would in the industrial world. If they are going to be professional, pay them! They are after all training every day of the week or playing or representing Ireland. They do not have full time jobs, or the chance of holding down a career. Despite their full time career with the Irish team none of the players would ever get a mortage because their salary is on a par with an average civil servant. Unlike a civil servant the job is not for life, nor is their a nice pension. But after the player hits 35 or so, that is it? Is this fair?

We can say that that is their decision, but then we would never have the team we have today.

Cricket Ireland has had plenty of time to sort this out, but we need to look after the players we have and make sure they are not wanting or tempted to go elsewhere. Furthermore the facilities need to be acclimatised to Ireland and ensure we don't disappoint fans and visiting teams because of weather, facilities or organisation

If I was an player on the Ireland squad, I would be very unhappy with Ireland Cricket, other than the love of the game itself, there would be nothing to keep me.

djimi

The ICC are going to have a major part to play. If cricket in Ireland, or indeed any of the other top associates, is to develop, then the ICC need to get the finger out and find a way of getting them playing test cricket. A two tiered test system would be the obvious solution in my eyes; top 7 test nations play in tier 1, top 4 associates play in tier 2 along with Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and probably someone like the West Indies. Ensure that tier 2 teams get games against tier 1 countries, and have a system whereby teams can push towards tier 1 as they progress, and that there is a system where the other non-test associates can progress into tier 2 (promotion/relegation at both levels I suppose). At the moment test cricket is a closed shop; if youre not one of the 10 test teams then cricket in your country is going nowhere. This needs to change.

This should then solve the issue of players leaving to play for England. If Ireland can offer players test cricket then there is no excuse. Of course, in the current system there is nothing to stop players leaving to qualify for England even if we have test cricket, just like the South Africans who play for England, but the hope at least would be that fewer players would feel that they have no other choice but to leave in order to further their careers.

As for paying them more money and putting them on central contracts, thats all well and good in theory, but such contracts cost money, something Cricket Ireland isnt rolling in! It will be a long time before CI can afford to play players comparable wages to the likes of the ECB, and for the moment we have to just hope that players are content to play for the money that CI is able to pay them (provided its reasonable of course) and that the lure of making more cash elsewhere doesnt attract players away from Ireland. If it does then so be it; it cant be helped.

It is my view that Cricket Ireland are doing a very good job, and given our position in the scheme of things in world cricket Im not sure that they can do a whole lot more than the effort they are currently putting in. Test cricket is very much a closed shop, run by people who have very little interest in progressing it beyond the cosy little club that it currently is. Any decision that benefits the associates but it is in any way to the detriment of the current test nations is likely to be shot down immediately; that is what we are fighting against. Its not that long since they wanted associates out of the World Cup altogether.