What it means for Ireland to achieve Test cricket status

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  • Two years ago, driving down Dubai’s Sheikh Zayed Road, I was asked by a taxi driver about Irish cricket and the country’s stature in the cricketing world.

    It was just after the 2015 World Cup where the Emerald Isle had beaten West Indies and Zimbabwe in the group stages.

    Although the tournament didn’t end on a fairytale note, with failure to reach the knockout phase, it reiterated just how far the Men in Green had come.

    Indeed, it was yet more evidence that they were no longer there just to make up the numbers and deserved greater recognition alongside the other major nations in the game.

    Whilst we are all aware of the scale of which Twenty20 cricket has changed the game, Test cricket and with it its long history, for many, always will be the true test.

    ‘Why no Test cricket (for Ireland), sir?’. That was a question by my enthusiastic Pakistani taxi driver to which I couldn’t respond.

    He could tell me the names of some of the players – the likes of Kevin and Niall O’Brien, William Porterfield and Ed Joyce, men who have been at the pinnacle of cricket in Ireland for nearly a decade.

    It struck me then that Ireland’s players were becoming more recognised on a global stage, but why were they not playing there more regularly?

    Even as Ireland beat some of the game’s elite – Pakistan in 2007 and England in 2011 in limited overs cricket – their bid for Test status and the prospect of joining the other 10 Full Members was consistently ignored.

    Thursday’s decision by the ICC to grant Ireland – along with Afghanistan – full membership and Test cricket status is a significant day in the country’s sporting history and puts an end to a decade-long quest to join cricket’s elite.

    Test cricket, despite all its grandeur, is going through a tough time with smaller audiences turning up to watch matches and the lure of playing T20 instead proving too great for some, but still, Ireland’s promotion to the Test ranks is huge news for world cricket and a positive story for the game.

    Of course, matches against top-ranked India, South Africa and Australia won’t come any time soon, but Tests against the likes of West Indies, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and Afghanistan will definitely help the profile of the sport, add more commercial revenue and appeal to a greater Irish audience.

    One of the men at the epicentre of the sport in Ireland is Ed Joyce, who at 38, has played 249 first class matches over an 11-year international career – which included a stint playing for England, for which he scored a World Cup century against Australia. In May, he decided to retire from county cricket with Sussex to help Ireland chase the Test cricket dream.

    Although the left-handed batsman is edging towards the end of his glittering career, time is still on his side as he attempts to inspire a younger generation of players wearing the green jersey.

    Paul Stirling (26) has slowly progressed to the fore of the batting order too and always looks in control when at the crease. His stunning 101 against Netherlands in the 2011 World Cup was the fourth fastest century in 50-over history and is one of a number of players who can have their role to play in the Test arena.

    On the bowling side, the totemic George Dockrell (24) is in his eighth season with the team and looks instrumental with the ball in hand – yet another fine example of how Ireland have produced cricketers with plenty of talent about them.

    It’s going to be a long and winding road for Irish cricket as the months and years progress, but with confirmation that Ireland are now part of the five-day game, this should give the country a solid foundation from which to grow further. There’s so much scope for development moving forward.

    For example, in May, Ireland played two ODIs against England and drew a crowd of 22,000 for game two at Lord’s. Could it be a case now that the two nations make this an annual series, with at least one Test match too, given that it’s early in the season and before the so-called bigger nations arrive?

    The journey may have only just begun but it’s fitting to know Ireland are placed alongside the other top nations and are seen a major player in world cricket.

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