How on Earth do you expect teams to pick first choice teams consistently in an amateur sport if they have more games to play?How on Earth does the ICC expect anyone to take an interest in this tournament if it takes two years for 8 teams to get through 1 round of matches. These yawning gaps are killing the Intercontinental Cup
From a tough love perspective that need for players available to the national team year round would force associates to develop professionalism into their systems which would be better for the game in the long run for cricket as a whole. This we are just amateurs thing is a bit of a crutch that is inhibiting real maturation of associate cricket.The thing is if they pull the games closer together, as you want, the players won't be able to play them all because of other commitments.
Unsustainable if they continue on the current status quo so to speak. A more 'televisable' Associate schedule could provide the extra revenue.How would they develop professionalism though? Simply unsustainable financially.
That's an interesting story, wonder how well he bowled, or whether it was a bit of slogging. Got Kevin O'Brien again the second innings too.Neth 21/0 (6.4 ov, LW Stokkers 6*, ES Szwarczynski 11*, MC Sorensen 0/7) | Live Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo
A 15-year old spinner called Daniel Doram has just taken 5 wickets on debut against Ireland.
John Anderson was a South African who played one game for Natal about 10 years ago, since then he appears to have turned up from nowhere and hit a ton for Ireland. To be honest I'm more interested in the other opener, a 22-year old called Balbirnie, entirely because of his stereotypical name