...and the huge disappointment of the Under 19 Ireland team in Malaysia seems to have ignited the thorny old debate of national teams and getting the best squad in place at the highest level. On the face of it the Under 19 squad should be a barometer for future success at the highest level and an important recruitment ground for national coach Phil Simmons to strengthen his squad going forward, so perhaps some gloom and doom is understandable. However, despite their disappointing results these talented young players will not come back worse players but hopefully more experienced and challenged by the need to improve their personal fitness and ability to perform at this level. At the same time the management of the squad will report back on where Ireland falls short in comparison to our competitors and perhaps we can learn and more forward. There's a lot more to high performance at this level than having excellent playing skills, and much of the work needs to be done long before the players reach the tournament stage.
Currently the Ireland Under 19 squad is the most important springboard to full international selection and therein lies the dilemma that is currently challenging most of our passionate website contributors. Bring back the old interprovincials is a strong element in this debate. Other suggestions have been a county championship, inter-union tournament and a premier division semi-professional club championship. Each has positives and negatives, and while all four suggestions might fill a gap between club and representative cricket, is any of them really viable as a successful long-term business model?
The cash-strapped Irish Cricket Union is currently stretched to the limit to meet its huge commitments and the fact that the Irish Senior Cup remains without a sponsor is an indication of how difficult it is these days to get meaningful sponsorships. And let's get real, without a sponsor none of these competitions are going to be successful. While the cricket element is the most important facet of setting such a tournament in place, there are other considerations that can't be ignored. Will the tournament be competitive, will the players commit to it 100%, will it involve the full national squad, will clubs release their paid players, will the national coach use it for selection, will spectators watch the matches, will it involve only players aspiring to a higher level of representative cricket, and will it really see the best players playing the best players?
It's one thing to talk about going back to the old system of six interpro teams plus a development or youth squad, but we don't really have over 100 potential Ireland players with both the ability and the focus to go to the highest level so why go this route?
The current Ireland set-up sees progress through youth teams and in many ways that's the best nursery for long term success. Yes, some late developers and 'blow-ins' will escape this system, but if they are good enough they'll still make the grade.
There's still a place for a representative competition but let's make it innovative, focused and meaningful. If it is to be used as a springboard to the national squad then it should only involve the best players and the only tournament that would satisfy that criteria is an inter-union competition. But it must have the full backing of the ICU, the unions, the clubs, the players and a sponsor, or it will not have any long-term benefits.
Clarence Hiles
Editor
