By Monojit Mandal
SHILLONG: With cricket making a cautious comeback after a Covid-forced interlude, the ongoing Ireland-England series is important not only in the context of the return of internationals but also plays a significant part in the recently- launched ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League.
ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League, introduced to bring context to One Day International (ODI) cricket and which started with the Ireland vs England series, will determine qualification for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 to be played in India.
Warren Deutrom, CEO, Cricket Ireland, in an exclusive chat with The Shillong Times, shared his thoughts on the significance of the series (last of the three matches to be played on August 4), effect of saliva ban and empty stadiums on cricket, roadmap for Ireland Cricket, Indian Premier League (IPL) and more.
ST: How significant is Ireland vs England series in the context of the return of International cricket?
Deutrom: The significance is always high when Ireland and England meet on a sporting field, but given that World Cup qualification points are at stake this time, it is that much more.
We are also the first Irish representative side back competing on the world stage in any sport since lockdown, so are in the national spotlight, and hopefully inspiring a new generation of Irish cricketers.
In terms of the world game, we are the only international games being played, so we hope for a competitive and exciting series for fans to enjoy.
While we hope these are the first steps in getting the sport restarted elsewhere, we can fully understand that different nations are at different stages in dealing with the pandemic, and those cricket boards may not have the resources to stage what the ECB has been able to achieve.
ST: Will cricket in empty stadiums and saliva-ban change the paradigms of the game?
Deutrom: No, not really. Of course, players love to play in front of big crowds and we all love to experience a good live match atmosphere, but we know our players love playing for the Shamrock, and against England only makes it a game with extra spice to it.
The saliva ban, to mind, is just a habit that needs to be broken, and is probably of less consequence in the white ball game than in Test cricket.
ST: What is the roadmap in terms of development for Ireland Cricket?
Deutrom: In terms of development of the game in Ireland, Irish cricket has a long and proud history, but we are still not a leading sport when it comes to participation numbers compared to the big three of football, rugby union and GAA. Our focus though is not just on playing numbers, but on building the infrastructure to grow and sustain the sport. We are developing our provincial unions, increasing our commercial base and strengthening our governance processes to ensure the sport has a solid platform.
On the playing side, we have an established academy for both men and women, and now have a full Ireland Wolves programme to bridge the gap between domestic and international cricket.
While our playing pool isn’t as large as some nations, cricket has experienced a large increase in awareness and participation in the last decade, so the future is bright.
Last year we also employed a dedicated National Talent Pathway Manager to oversee the development pipeline from Under-13s to Under-19s, and this is already producing results with a number of young players appearing for the Wolves. The other development ground is the men’s Test Triangle Inter-Provincial Series and the women’s Super-Series.
These are the competitions that pit best v best at an Irish level and are growing in significance for the national pathway.
ST: What is your take on T-20 & 100-ball cricket?
Deutrom: We have played a lot of T20 cricket in recent years, and results have shown that we are on the up.
We have gone from 18th to 12th in the world, and two of our batters finished 1st and 2nd highest run-scorers in the world in that format. We also qualified for the (now postponed) T20 World Cup, which followed a home T20 Tri-Series win against Scotland and Netherlands.
While like all long-standing cricket fans I love Test cricket, T20 cricket is an exciting format of the game and one which we have focused on in recent times.
100-ball cricket at this stage is a domestic English competition, of which I have no real opinion yet.
It will be interesting to watch and see whether it brings a new audience to the game. If it grows interest and participation, I’ll take a keen interest. More than anything, I applaud innovation and courage, and this is an example of both.
ST: How popular is the Indian Premier League (IPL) among Irish players? And are they willing to take part in the tournament?
Deutrom: The IPL is very popular, and of course if our players had the opportunity to participate then they would play. There are numerous Irish players who I think could make an impact in the competition, so perhaps we may see Irish involvement someday soon.