Irish golfer Shane Lowry threw a spanner in the golfing world last week with an amazing win in the Irish Open. His success was not so much a phenomenon for a young 22 year-old making his way in the sporting world, but the fact that he was an amateur, and only the third ever to win a PGA tour event. But has the talented young golfer not highlighted what many of us have believed for a long time, that our best amateurs can be as good as any professionals on their day?
The seventies and eighties was an era when local players like Simon Corlett, Dermott Monteith, Ivan Anderson, Ossie Colhoun, and Michael Reith were in their prime, and in later years outstanding players like Paul Jackson, Stephen Warke, Junior McBrine, and Decker Curry followed at a similar level. These were players that had very special talents, and would certainly have succeeded in the professional ranks had their circumstances or focus been different. Dermott had a brief sojourn at Middlesex late in his career, as cover for Phil Edmonds and John Embury, but I’ve never been convinced that either England bowler was a better bowler than Monty. Perhaps it all came back to focus and opportunity, and the need to have a guaranteed wage every month, rather than chase your sporting passion?
There is certainly plenty of evidence to suggest that our best amateurs past and present, are as good as many overseas professionals, and Shane Lowry’s success should be enough incentive for local cricket players to raise their standards to compete. That point was also highlighted this week when Ireland beat Worcestershire, and while some sceptics immediately looked for an excuse in the quality of the wicket, the truth is the gap is closing, and with most Ireland players now on a semi-professional or professional contract, they are much better players. The ability was always there, but unless you have the time and focus to commit to improvement, it’s always going to be difficult to compete on a regular basis. Now our best amateurs are bridging the gap, and the results are starting to show over a sustained period. Gone are the days when our national team could use its amateur status as an excuse for defeat, as these days the bar has been lifted, and failure comes with criticism, irrespective of whether the players are professionals or fit their cricket schedule around their everyday working life.
Irish cricket fans are fickle, and they expect our best players to perform well against the professionals, irrespective of their status.
So why is there still so much fuss and jealousy about overseas professionals in the local game? Surely after thirty years we now have more local players of similar or higher ability, and if our best locals focus and commit to their personal development and improvement, they can perform just as well?
And why is there all this fuss about players moving for money, because at the end of the day they are still the same players, and whether paid or not, they don’t get any privileges on the field? Are we so insular that we must deny local players an opportunity to better themselves and clubs to improve, simply because of money? The smart clubs have already addressed the issue internally, but in the modern world we have to see the bigger picture if we want to advance.
There are eight Irish players currently attached to county teams, and at least three more that could join them. There are others at home who have the talent and the ability to follow in their footsteps, but for a variety of reasons their focus may not the same. Shane Lowry has shown the way with his magnificent win in the Irish Open, and not surprisingly he has since turned professional to improve and develop himself as a top player.
The same opportunities are on the table for our best local cricketers, so let’s not dwell too much on whether they are getting paid or not, and look positively at how they have raised the standard of cricket. Some ‘old hands’ might think otherwise at club level, but further up the Irish cricket ladder, the standard has never been higher.
Clarence Hiles
Editor
