Ireland gain test status 23-6-17

IRELAND GAIN TEST STATUS

The Ireland cricket team represents all of Ireland. They participate in Test, ODI and Twenty20 matches on an international level. They are the 12th Full Member of the International Cricket Council (ICC), having been awarded Test status along with Afghanistan, on 22 June 2017.

Ireland are ranked 12th in One Day International (ODI) cricket. Ireland played their first ODI in 2006 against England. Since then, they have gone on to play 117 ODIs, resulting in 51 victories, 57 defeats, 6 no results, and 3 ties.

Cricket was introduced to Ireland in the 19th century, and the first match played by an Ireland team was in 1855. Ireland toured Canada and the United States in the late 19th century, and occasionally hosted matches against touring side. Rivalry with the Scotland national cricket team was established when the teams first played each other in 1888. Ireland's maiden first-class match was played in 1902.

In 1993 the Irish Cricket Union, the predecessor to Cricket Ireland, was elected to the ICC as an Associate member. Associates are the next level of team below those that play Test cricket. Due to their successes in the Intercontinental Cup and at the World Cup, they were labelled the "leading Associate"and stated their intention to become a full member by 2020.

Ireland qualified for the Cricket World Cup for the first time in 2007, and has since played in the 2011 and 2015 tournaments. They also qualified for the 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2014 World Twenty20 competitions. Ireland also play international cricket in the ICC Intercontinental Cup, which they have won four times since 2005, including the most recent competition in 2013.

MY OPINION

The Irish as a nation now can say they are a the level they should be but it is going to be a slow process for them and I think they will have a problem in not staying bottom in the next few years but I do think that we do have a feel and a drive for improvement and we know that we can avoid finishing bottom but now we must learn. I think that player like Niall and Kevin O Brian and Ed Joyce should be given the chance as it was their talent that got us there. We should also leave the door open for England captain Eoin Morgan to play one test for Ireland maybe before he retires.