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[Gerry SA]

Graeme Smith must of been a terrible test cricketer then as he only averaged 48 compared to Andy Flower's 51. Does that make the SA FC structure weaker as well?

Another theory up in smoke Nick, as Kallis, Amla and de Villiers surpass Flower.

Come on you've gotta try harder...

[uknsaunders]

Another theory up in smoke Nick, as Kallis, Amla and de Villiers surpass Flower.

Come on you've gotta try harder...

Err no I don't, I've proved my point.

[smilley792]

Here's Gerry randomly picking stats to suit his needs.


Do your remember that time you proved something by screaming someone was a moron because this was amlas 1st world cup.

Oh yeah but you didn't realise he'd played in 2011.

Some fan you are.

Stop scouring cricinfo stats page to prove stuff only 1 stay proves and actually watch the game.


As for a previously comment about sa letting england have some mediocre guys. Well that's true. You live in London don't you! That's one guy sa were happy to get rid off. 

[edge]

Ed Joyce/Niall O'Brien certainly weren't slogging when I was watching! Both playing a lot of classy shots. Give Ireland Rankin and Morgan back, plus remember they have Tim Murtagh (their opening bowler) injured at the moment and they'd be a side to contend with. Dockrell is a good quality spinner, Rankin/Murtagh are just as good as a lot of test bowlers, then they only need to find themselves one more to have a decent attack. Batting has proven itself good enough by now!

Also, a lot of their players may have unspectacular fc records, but they raise their game big time for internationals, and they've done it often enough now that it's no fluke. And even if they're the worst test team, who cares? Every new addition would be, and the only way to grow the game is to add more teams.

[johnnyw]

Ireland have some very good players coming up thru the system. Keep an eye out for Peter Chase who has plenty of pace but lacks control at the moment. Will be a very good bowler in time. Played a couple of matches for Durham towards the end of the year.

If you had rankin back along with murtagh, chase, dockrell and soresen then you have a decent enough bowling line up for test or first class cricket

Ireland have been unmatched by other teams in the intercontinental cup for a long time bar one year they slipped up against Afghanistan but I think it's only fair they they are sterner challenge now while the players are there

[smilley792]

Afghan 3 for 3! Need to dig in or this could be over quick.

[Shortpitch]

Why would two ICC full members waste time playing F/C matches against Ireland?

Your so called Full ICC members you mentioned above didn't show any progress from past 20 years....As for ZIM...they got smashed by BAN couple of months back I guess its 8-0 I think and BAN getting smashed by every other side. when ICC full time members can waste their time in playing these two, why not IRISH?

[Shortpitch]

Ireland linked with Test status after beating a West Indies side(excluding Sammy) who show no honour playing for that historic maroon shirt...

If West Indies more talented players showed Darren Sammy's heart, passion and commitment, West Indies would be a top side.

Ireland do not deserve Test status. Period.

All ICC full time members would have thought just like you in 1992, we did be seeing Jhonty Rhodes playing hockey, Hansie a legal bookie and so on.....Glad we didn't.

[tauhid]

I understand the point you are trying to make. But before posting get your facts right. Bangladesh getting smashed by every other sides    ? You must not be watching Bangladesh cricket for the last 5 years. Best of luck in watching more actual cricket games of the team you want to comment about and then do so.

Your so called Full ICC members you mentioned above didn't show any progress from past 20 years....As for ZIM...they got smashed by BAN couple of months back I guess its 8-0 I think and BAN getting smashed by every other side. when ICC full time members can waste their time in playing these two, why not IRISH?

[Shortpitch]

I understand the point you are trying to make. But before posting get your facts right. Bangladesh getting smashed by every other sides    ? You must not be watching Bangladesh cricket for the last 5 years. Best of luck in watching more actual cricket games of the team you want to comment about and then do so.

Hi Tauhid,
I have been watching pretty much most of Bangladesh(in fact most cricket) cricket over past years, not trying to make any argument, lets be honest here, their progress is slow when compared to the other nations when they started. That doesn't mean that they won't progress. when you look at the facts, new benchmark is Srilanka to compare the progress of the test playing nations made these years. But Again, the point was to prove that Ireland are at better stage now to have Test status than ever before.

As for the facts, there was the statistics given during BAN vs AFG game yesterday about the BAN performance and progress over 20 years since they had the Test Status, that should give you good idea about what's been put in my last comment.

[Sam]

Their test record of 0/18 wins over the last 5 years in that regards probably doesn't give them the best of overviews.

[csnew]

Pretty poor start from Zim so far. Dropped catches and wickets of no balls

[arsenal123]

156 million in the population of Bangladesh were cricket is religion.  Somehow I think like India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, they'll get there. 

It would be such a shame if someone like Shakib Al-Hasan didn't have a chance to play international top level cricket.  Fact is that if he only played associate cricket he wouldn't have got his chance in county cricket or the IPL and the world would have been deprived of one of its top 5 all rounders.

These types of players form the platform for the next generation.  Out of Aravinda da Silva came Sangakkara and Jayawardene.  The players that inspire the next generation.

I am sure when Sri Lanka first came to the fore these arguments were had time and time again.  Imagine how much poorer a place international cricket would have been without Jayasuriya, Sanga, Jayawardene, Murali and Malinga.

Now it took decades for new nations to start getting their first wins in a less professional era, it will only be harder now.  I for one look forward to seeing teams like Bangladesh actually being more competitive against the rest of the world.

[tauhid]

Their test record of 0/18 wins over the last 5 years in that regards probably doesn't give them the best of overviews.

Two points here-
1. We were comparing performances of not just tests but one dayers as well. As indicated by the results provided by shortpitch (8-0 for zim).

2. In the 80s most cricketers had a second job and there I cannot say it was fully professional. Therefore, for a new cricketing nation it was difficult but not extremely difficult to catch up to the semi - professionals  given enough time. However, as cricket is being played more professionally now the players skills have gone high and now not as easy to pick it up rather requires a combination of skill sets, experiences and competitive  first class infrastructure. The point is you can not use two teams from different times to calculate their improvement Over time unless they are over the same time period.

Yes I saw the statistics provided by star sports but just as you can not compare two players from two different eras you can not compare two teams/ nations improvement from different times.

[uknsaunders]

Some major differences between Ireland and Bangladesh:-

1. Ireland might get $20m over 8 years, Bangladesh $70m from the ICC
2. Ireland already have a first class structure of sorts - it's called the County Championship and home to most of their players.

I'm not knocking Bangladesh here, just pointing out that Ireland in many ways are ahead of the same curve and don't receive the same funding. I imagine equal funding would allow a first class structure proper in Ireland and more players making the grade.