Agree with you in theory, but is it really workable? we all know that Test & ODI selection should be separate schools of thought but that they aren't. If Morgan was playing ODIs for Ireland, would this restrict his Test chances? Yes, IMO.
I'm not too sure he would get in easily now, remember it's always a lot more difficult to knock out an incumbent player than it is to keep your place. The SA test line up is very strong and with everyone performing it's hard to see how anyone could lose their spot (except Mckenzie, maybe Amla but that would be harsh, but KP's never going to be a test opener, probably not a no.3 either), it took an injury and probably the innings of his career for Duminy to get Prince's spot. I imagine KP would have been carrying the drinks for quite some time before getting a chance.
It may do, yes. &, with that knowledge, he may chose to throw his lot in with us hook, line and sinker anyway.
The point being that Pietersen is now one of the worlds greatest batsmen and IMO is easily good enough to play for South Africa.
Pretty certain no Lankans or Pakistanis were ever picked, though back then they were loathe to pick chennai players never mind Sri Lankans.
A few Pakistanis played for pre-partition India and later played for Pakistan too: Abdul Kardar, Jenni Irani & Amir Elahi. I meant had any Sri Lankans played for Pakistan or India.
This is a great point. Nash went to Windies because he wasn't good enough for Australia. Elliot went to NZ because he wasn't good enough for South Africa. Pietersen came to England because at the time, he couldn't get a game due to quotas or perhaps not being good enough back then or whatever the reason is. They weren't being 'stolen' because their own countries didn't want them. Joyce, Amjad and Morgan are the best their countries have, and that is the key point that needs to be made. How can cricket truly globalise if associate players are nabbed by the already test playing teams like this? I know it's the players choice etc. but Morgan should definately have to wait 4 years from his last ODI until he qualifies for England. Essentialy, at the moment, he is qualified to play for both England and Ireland which is just weird. He's in the squad for the World T20, what if England don't play him? Does that mean Ireland can borrow him from their squad for a match? Is he eligible to play for two teams in the same tournament?
It's just a bit weird IMO.
Very interesting idea. I like it.
My point here is that these players would be nowhere near selection for their own sides, so Ireland are not hampering another country's chances of success. It's not really to do with a sense of national identity, although it would be nice to see an Irish-raised majority. I believe a good example can be taken from football at the moment, where Fabio Cappello has said he would be happy to select Manuel Almunia, a Spaniard, as he is good enough to play for England. Spain don't want him, they have Casillas, Reina, Valdez etc so there is nothing wrong with England taking him IMO. Same with Nacho Novo and Scotland, although no one in Scotland wants him, but yeah, it's the same situation.
Only reason it's different is because Keane would never, ever, ever, ever play for England.
Indeed so. If we're prepared to swipe Hargreaves I guess we'd have found a spot for Royston.Think we'd have bitten Keane's hand off had he offered to join our midfield tbh
'The United Kingdom of Great Britian and Northern Ireland as well as Republic of Ireland (also includes Scotland and Wales)'Which flag would they play under?
Well fine use a different example, Giggs perhaps (went to my old school for a year or two that man)? There probably wouldn't be as strong a feeling because let's face it, there aren't too many Welsh people. But if he had already been representing Wales for years then decided he wanted a taste of the biggest stage and played for England, surely it wouldn't seem right?
I'd buy that strip.
I said the same thing a couple of weeks back.