***Unofficial*** Ireland Discussion Thread

[silentstriker]

Ireland in hot pursuit of Full Member status | Ireland Cricket News | Cricinfo.com

Not happening IMO. Another country for BCCI to tour which makes no money, and another vote against it at the table. That's assuming the cricketing merits are there.

Cricketing wise, would it not make sense to have Ireland host and play away, four day games against other domestic FC sides from test nations? If they can prove that they can consistent beat them (not necessarily dominant, but they should be competitive, and win more often than not at least at home), then I think you can't deny them the ascension to the Test level. Bangladesh should have had this criteria.

[silentstriker]

I think the player base issue is a little bit moot. Bangladesh theoretically has a large population, but it's mostly Dhaka really. In India, they had a huge population but for the longest time, Bombay was pretty much the only feeder to the Test side.

I think what is much more important is the size of the fan base. Ireland as a whole has a population less than London or Bombay - but still more than NZ. So if NZ can perform at the Test level, I don't think you can keep Ireland out.

[Fusion]

I think the title of this thread needs to be corrected.

[four_or_six]

Good on them, why not? At least this should give clarity about what countries need to do to gain full membership status.

[Uppercut]

Originally Posted by silentstriker

I think the player base issue is a little bit moot. Bangladesh theoretically has a large population, but it's mostly Dhaka really. In India, they had a huge population but for the longest time, Bombay was pretty much the only feeder to the Test side.

I think what is much more important is the size of the fan base. Ireland as a whole has a population less than London or Bombay - but still more than NZ. So if NZ can perform at the Test level, I don't think you can keep Ireland out.

The fanbase is small- cricket's the fifth most popular sport in Ireland if it's lucky.

I don't think any of those factors matter though. If any of them did there's no way in hell we'd be anywhere near as good as we are now (not to mention, as you rightly pointed out, how bad New Zealand would be). It's best just to look at how good we are at cricket.

Are we good enough for full member status? It depends where you set the bar. If the ICC set the bar low enough that Bangladesh and Zimbabwe are, then Ireland certainly are. If you set the bar higher- as most cricket fans, myself included, would prefer- then there's no justification for having Bangladesh in the cosy little club and Ireland outside it.

Never stopped the ICC from bending over Kenya though.

[Goughy]

Originally Posted by silentstriker

Not happening IMO. Another country for BCCI to tour which makes no money, and another vote against it at the table.

I buy the potential vote against BCCI being a reason why they would oppose it but Im not sure about the money issue.

Although it is becoming less defined, the European summer is still a place where other nations play less cricket and many cricketers from overseas are in the British Isles.

This opens a second window to play and make revenue in the Britsh (and Irish) summer. It actually makes a lot of sense financially for BCCI

[Richard]

The fact that Bangladesh got Test status and Kenya did not at a time when Kenya were far more deserving of it than Bangladesh (that is, Kenya did not deserve it and Bangladesh most certainly did not deserve it) is what allows the conspiracy-theories about Bangladesh only being promoted because the BCCI bloc wanted an extra guaranteed vote to prosper. It may or may not be true but it's certainly possible.

[Athlai]

Win more often than not at home? Not sure if even West Indies or NZ do that.

[Richard]

Nowhere near enough teams do currently. Home advantage at the current time is not what it should be, which is due in no small part to the plateauing of pitch conditions toward a Worldwide norm.

[morgieb]

Shouldn't happen, but until Bangladesh & Zimbabwe lose it, they should gain it.

[andyc]

Thread name edited since SS must have gone offline since posting and it's annoying me.

[silentstriker]

Originally Posted by andyc

Thread name edited since SS must have gone offline since posting and it's annoying me.

What was it before?

[andyc]

Originally Posted by silentstriker

What was it before?

ICC begin to apply for full member status.

Thought Fusion's post would've tipped you off tbh.

[turnstyle]

read about this earlier in the week and after listening to Warren Deutrom on Cricinfo's Switch Hit I'm glad that guy is in charge of Irish cricket.

We all know, and even he admitted, test cricket is still a million miles away, but the most exciting and realistic prospect of all this would be the permanent fixtures in the FTP that will hopefully bring along a broadcast partner of sorts and, fingers crossed, some more very badly needed media publicity on the island itself.

Also read in the Holdsworth report into domestic cricket in Ireland which pointed to future home matches possibly being played in Spain. Not sure how that would work

[Stapel]

Why oh why?

Are Ireland far ahead of Holland, Scotland & Kenya? I don't think so!

BTW, Ireland was invited to play in England as a county (Pro 40 league). They declined and now Holland will play as an English county..... Good for Dutch cricket, I suppose. And it would have been good for Irish cricket as well.