CRICKET IRELAND PRESIDENT Joe Doherty believes Ireland will achieve Test status in the next few years.
Earlier this year, it was confirmed that the winner of the next Intercontinental Cup would be granted a play-off against the lowest-ranked full member with a place among the Test nations the prize.
And, having won the tournament four of the last five times, Doherty is confident that Ireland are closing in on their goal.
“We’re in grasping distance of competing with the big guys,” Doherty told this week’s episode of The Slog Sweep podcast.
“The big guys that you will see in the upcoming World Cup and the recent World Cups. We have a clear pathway now which, if we ring certain bells, we will probably end up in 2017 or 2018 playing ‘Team X’ for a place in Test cricket.
“By winning the next Intercontinental Cup we will get into the Test Challenge with whoever is deemed vulnerable enough and we take them on and play them — whatever number of matches over whatever terms and conditions.
“That’s all we’re asking for is a sporting chance to do that. Anything else would be a second prize to me.”
During the same interview, Doherty added the future is bright for the sport in this country thanks to development which has been aided by the ICC.
I think we’re doing it in a more organised basis than we ever were before,” It was always going on but it wasn’t structured so therefore it was sporadic and you couldn’t predict what was going to come from one club or region. That has all changed now.
“It’s very heavily funded, not only from Cricket Ireland, but essentially from the ICC where the money is being filtered down. For example, we have a national academy now which is going to do wonderful things. And that’s the elite side of it.
“Participation with our cricket development officers is very, very high because there are so many sports that we have to compete with.”
Click here to listen to the full interview with Joe Doherty on The Slog Sweep.
Also this week, Rush Cricket Club’s Neil Rock and Matt Sheridan chat about what was a hugely successful under-age season for the club. There is also ‘Around the Grounds’ with Barry Chambers, David Holmes and Ger Siggins as well as Performances of the Week, the O’Neill’s Team of the Week, and all our regular reviews and previews of Irish cricket news.
