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Donal C
December 21, 2016, 05:44 AM
Zim and AFG have one and instead of making dozens of threads its better to just put all Ireland news in here, easier for all.

So, one of Irelands biggest problems in the past few years, and one of the reasons for our recent struggles has been a total lack of any A or U19 fixtures to develop our fringe players. CI do not have the money to finance these however they've up with what I think is a rather ingenious move.

The Ireland Wolves. This is essentially a first for cricket worldwide as far as I know? Its basically a joint team consisting of A players and Academy players, so essentially an A/u19 hybrid team. The team will play Bangladesh in a warm up match prior to the tri series, as well as face off against county 2nd XI's in 3 day and t20 matches all throughout the year which is fantastic news. Lastly they will embark on a 3 week tour of a full member nation, which if against decent opposition will be the first time an Ireland develop side has ever toured anywhere. This gives our domestic performers chances to test themselves at a higher level and develops some U19 players too.

http://www.cricketeurope4.net/DATABASE/ARTICLES2016/articles/000025/002576.shtml

Also, big news is that both Niall O Brien and Ed Joyce will play in our domestic competition next year. Great to see the commitment but it does make me worry that the competition will become even more incredibly one sided for Leinster as a result,, we definitely have the depth for a 4th or even 5th side I reckon, however a 4th side (Munster) are being added next year to t20 and then the 50 over and 3 day stuff

Full list of contracts is below

http://www.cricketeurope4.net/DATABASE/ARTICLES2016/articles/000025/002575.shtml

Lastly, details of our preparation prior to our 9 match series vs AFG announced, several training camps and two ODI's vs UAE, satisfactory compared to past efforts.

RealSports
December 21, 2016, 09:20 AM
Ireland need to play more Cricket, and when I mean more Cricket, that includes more against the full members. I'm surprised the last ODI series between Bangladesh and Ireland was back in 08. There should be more series between the sides – at least in Ireland. Scotland also should be playing more games. I remember them at the world cup, and they performed above expectations. More funding needs to go into Irish Cricket.

aklemalp
December 21, 2016, 10:02 AM
Good initiative Donal, I support the call for them to play more international matches(not one-off matches during some England series).

Most of the guys in the squad have played some level of county cricket.

We need team Ireland in World Cricket.

mufi_02
December 21, 2016, 10:03 AM
Is there any plans to build a rain-proof stadium? IRE only gets to play few matches and whenever they do play, at least 1 game is washed out and the other one gets reduced overs.

RazabQ
December 21, 2016, 11:32 AM
Not a bad idea - are there any indoor stadiums in ireland where you can use a drop-in pitch and use it as a cricketing venue as well.

Donal C
December 21, 2016, 03:58 PM
Lol at rainproof stadiums. You have any idea how expensive they are?? Good luck getting investment for the 5th biggest sport of that magnitude.

Dilscoop
December 21, 2016, 05:02 PM
A roofed stadium - for all sports - not just cricket - would be the way to go. hyphens.


- As myself.

Donal C
December 21, 2016, 06:13 PM
ahahahahah gotta admit, that avatar had me for a second

Dilscoop
December 21, 2016, 06:30 PM
I, myself - tripped on it a couple of times. Myself.


- Me, myself and I, solo ride until I die.

Shadow
May 5, 2017, 05:37 AM
Both the Irish openers are back to the pavilion. Porterfield and Balbirnie at the crease right now. Ireland 48/2 after 8 overs.

Vepu
May 5, 2017, 06:18 AM
Toporder got starts but failed to convert. Upto middle order now

Vepu
May 5, 2017, 06:32 AM
Now Poterfield gifted his wicket. His innings was going nowhere

Vepu
May 5, 2017, 07:12 AM
Dissapointed. Expected better from Ireland. Hope they can bounce back next match

adamnsu
May 5, 2017, 07:25 AM
Was taken aback with the start Ireland had. England to win it easy though

adamnsu
May 5, 2017, 08:08 AM
Alex Chicken Hearted Hales just got out!

Game is already in the bag for England

Bonglababu
May 5, 2017, 08:29 AM
This Chase guy looks decent

RealSports
May 5, 2017, 09:51 AM
Irish Cricket seems to have regressed over the years. They use to be the best associate team, but now I'm not convinced they can beat Scotland. It makes no sense to invite them for any games away from home, but I'm surprised they did get a few games abroad. It was a no contest between England-Ireland I'm afraid. Stirling needs to put more of a price on his wicket – the guy is talented.

al Furqaan
May 5, 2017, 06:14 PM
Dissapointed. Expected better from Ireland. Hope they can bounce back next match

Vepu bhai kee hoilo...apni na age Ireland ke oshorjo mone korten :D

brockley
May 5, 2017, 09:50 PM
Sigh:facepalm:

Vepu
May 5, 2017, 11:07 PM
Vepu bhai kee hoilo...apni na age Ireland ke oshorjo mone korten :D

Thats when my buddy Donald is around

anon4567
May 5, 2017, 11:22 PM
Irish Cricket seems to have regressed over the years. They use to be the best associate team, but now I'm not convinced they can beat Scotland. It makes no sense to invite them for any games away from home, but I'm surprised they did get a few games abroad. It was a no contest between England-Ireland I'm afraid. Stirling needs to put more of a price on his wicket – the guy is talented.


In case you forgot, we sucked equally as much from early-mid 2000s. But we were bringing in a lot more money from a significantly bigger fanbase and a stronger domestic league- heck ICC even gave us a test status when we clearly didn't deserve it and were getting out a##es handed back to us in almost every game we played.

Teams like Ireland, Afghanistan, and even Nepal have local/ native payers, and a sizeable fanbase- unlike most other of these "international" teams consistent of people from smaller expat communities who aren't even citizens of those countries (e.g. UAE).

So, ICC should stop wasting money on teams like the US, Canada, UAE, etc. and try to expand the sport on countries where it has started to become more popular and has potential like Ireland and Afghanistan. This should include encouraging test playing teams to invite them for series.

al Furqaan
May 6, 2017, 12:17 AM
Thats when my buddy Donald is around

He's always around...will prolly check in more frequently during the tri-series.

Vepu
May 6, 2017, 01:48 AM
He's always around...will prolly check in more frequently during the tri-series.

Ireland is crap. I was just supporting the underdogs

al Furqaan
May 6, 2017, 02:16 AM
Ireland is crap. I was just supporting the underdogs

There form after the 2015 world cup has been horrific.

Tigers_eye
May 6, 2017, 09:11 AM
With Morgan and Rankin they would be the #1 associate still.

hoodlum
May 6, 2017, 01:17 PM
With Morgan and Rankin they would be the #1 associate still.

Afghans are miles ahead now.

brockley
May 6, 2017, 03:15 PM
Dunno Shahzad out for 2 years,who's going to get the runs.

Tigers_eye
May 6, 2017, 05:57 PM
Afghans are miles ahead now.Without Mashrafe, we would be closer to 2014 rather than 2015*2. Because we wouldn't make that progress (self belief).

With a good leader this Ireland outfit is a formidable opponent, and add a fast-tall bowler. Not mentioning the weak link middle order would have gotten a bump.

brockley
May 7, 2017, 01:09 AM
The new ICC funding will help,but also a progressive A program.
Heard John Anderson flown in for Nial O'brien.

godzilla
May 7, 2017, 01:45 PM
Whats going on with Ireland? Couple of years back, they were a real threat for the big boys and was beating AFG on a regular basis. It took a very quick U-Turn for them.

Vepu
May 7, 2017, 03:10 PM
Better performance this time. They need to play big teams more

Shadow
May 8, 2017, 01:47 AM
Whats going on with Ireland? Couple of years back, they were a real threat for the big boys and was beating AFG on a regular basis. It took a very quick U-Turn for them.

Lack of matches. They need to play more International matches. They should also make more plans with their under-19 team that played in the youth world cup.

Donal C
May 8, 2017, 07:20 AM
The problem is multi tiered

- The most heartbreaking one. the squad of players who Ireland owe everything to is sadly no longer fit for purpose. Joyce has gone a while without a score now, Niall is already half retired (only playing club cricket and the Irish domestic FC and List A comps) and his main job is now talent scouting for a UK agency, Wilson has guts but too inconsistent, Murtagh 35 now shouldnt be in limited overs squads. They've given absolutely everything and for several years (2010 to 2015) were good enough to regularly beat full member's but in that time frame they got about 9 ODI's and now when the fixtures are coming they arent quite what they used to be.

- Talent. Ireland has always always possessed cricketing talent. Fact we produced Eoin Morgan and Ed Joyce as well as the golden generation from 2004 without any semblance of a professional structure attests to this. The problem was that from 2007 to now we basically did not have any form of A programme. The amount of talented U19 cricketers who have been lost due to this would break your heart. No U19 games aside from WC qualifiers, no A games at all. Combine this with Phil Simmons insane emphasis on picking the same XI when possible over and over and over again for 9 years and you have a lot of talented players now being asked to make a biggggg step up to international cricket without being properly prepared for it. In Simmons whole tenure I think in ODI's only Dockrell and Stirling were added, with Shannon getting a handful of chances before being discarded.

- Poor fixture planning. I get Ireland can't be choosy but most of our hammerings have come against teams who we really shouldn't be actively looking to play against regularly lol. I mean who's idea was it to go to SA play SA and Australia with a solitary warm up game as preparation. Never gonna end well. If we perform like we did last year in this upcoming tri series against a BD team who historically dont travel well here and a NZ A team then I'll be severely concerned, but against a decent AFG team in Asia we could and arguably would have easily have won that ODI series if not for 1 bowler, so I don't think the issue is as bad as it seems, if it was we'd be getting thrashed by AFG as well.

- Something seriously wrong with the set up. Ireland always had 2 things above any other cricket team. Team spirit and guts. Now thats gone. Two current players anonymously described the environment to Ger Siggins this week as "toxic", and everything has gotten far far too cosy. The likes of Niall talking about playing tests in two years and so on, I mean these guys need to be dropped if they dont perform simple as because they wont be here in two years i reckon, can't keep clinging on. Porterfield's post game excuses are bordering on becoming insulting now and he's been captain way way way too long, 9 years I mean its become way too stale.

Ultimately the time has come for CI to throw caution to the wind. There are several domestic performers who deserve a chance, Simi Singh, Eddie Richardson, Kane, Anders etc. The golden generation as sad as it is have come as far as they can go. The A programme has finally been addressed with 2 matches vs decent FM opposition this week as well as a supposed tour of a FM nation in the works this summer as well. But its come a tad too late but better late than never.

Give captaincy to someone else, Kevin for example. Drop Niall O Brien and if his LO form continues to dwindle Joyce as well. If they perform domestically great pick them again, ultimately some players need a kick up the *** IMO because they dont have to deal with competition.

We most certainly do have the players to compete in future, but they need time. Lorcan Tucker, Josh Little have shown glimpses already internationally. McCarthy since his debut last year has been one of the best ODI bowlers in the world statistically. Jacob Mulder has outstanding potential as a leggie and performances internationally to back it. Rory Anders was immense in the U19 WC and on his club stint in NZ, David Delaney is a young fast bowler around 16 or 17 IIRC who foreign coaches who've seen him reckon can hit 90 mph in future if coached and since he was selected for the A team tour to Gloucestershire last month that will hopefully happen. Loads of solid domestic performers havent had the opportunity yet, its time Cricket Ireland gave it to them. I don't mind failure with rookies, failure with 7 players from 2011 is not on. And George Dockrell needs to be sent to live in Bangladesh or somewhere for 2 years for coaching, have never seen a bowler regress so badly and become so limited. Even in India he was poor.

If they stick to the same squad, results like Bristol may well keep happening. CI needs a radical shake up. Bracewell will lose his job if results or performances are poor in this tri series, thats a fact, so he needs to do something. Not entirely his fault mind, this problem originated in Simmons era.

Assuming all are fit and I had dictator level control over team, my XI for the first game would be...

Porterfield
Stirling
Joyce
Balbirnie
Singh
Kevin
Wilson
McCarthy
Young
Mulder.
Chase

Also want a squad of around 17 players which considering the series is in Ireland can be done.

Would want the top domestic and young players involved around the XI for experience and to be given games when needed, so

Poynter
Dockrell/McBrine (literally identical cricketers cant accommodate both)
Richardson
Kane
Tucker (back up keeper and incredibly promising batsman)
Any other young or domestic batsman who puts his hand up, so Tector/Dennison et al.

Tigers_eye
May 8, 2017, 08:53 AM
^ Disheartening. However, I can feel your pain because we were at that stage one time. Now you need a Watmore or Siddons type coach, who would look for younger players.

Hopefully they will get their house in order and kick out the non-performing old ones. We did that and brought in Shakib, Tamim, Mushfiq in 2007. 10 years later, this is what we have.

In the middle, 3 AAA were shown the door. Averaging way below expectation.

Shubho
May 8, 2017, 09:11 AM
This is precisely why getting test status, be it by hook or by crook, is so crucial. Bangladesh cricket would be nowhere right now if we hadn't lobbied hard for test status in the late 90s. Did we deserve our elevation to test status? Probably not. But without it, there would have been zero development of the game in Bangladesh.

Ireland will come good. The game is run professionally there, and the proximity to England helps too. The ICC has woken up to the reality that teams like Ireland and Afghanistan need more games, so they will get more exposure to the "big boys" as well. It is only a matter of time before Ireland become an integral part of the elite club of cricketing nations.

In the meantime, it is important that Ireland's aging golden generation of cricketers aim for respectable defeats to full members while the next generation of stars are being groomed.

RealSports
May 8, 2017, 09:16 AM
Ireland have a weak bowling attack otherwise they will continue to lose by these big margins. I'm surprised they haven't found new players than can take over from the likes of Porterfield and O'Brian. I'd be worried if I was a Irish supporter. They haven't really caused too many upsets since that famous victory over England back in 11.

godzilla
May 8, 2017, 11:45 AM
it would be a shame if Ire fades away like Kenya did. Nobody wants that