My first six in a few years...

A notification appeared on LinkedIn last week: “Congratulations on 6 years at Cricket Ireland.”

Six?!?

While it’s my first six for some time (ahem, quite some time), I started to think about Irish cricket over that period of time - my thoughts being prompted by CCC.

By what?

Coincidental cricket circularity.

Come again?

I’ll try explain.

Last week there were two ‘events’ Irish cricket teams were involved in:

1. Men’s Under-19s World Cup
2. Ireland Women’s tour of Zimbabwe

When I started in January 2018, there were two ‘events’ Irish cricket teams were involved in:

1. Men’s Under-19s World Cup
2. Ireland Women’s tour of Zimbabwe

See - CCC.

A big claim (for which I may offend some!)

Given my CCC, I started to think how the last six years compared to other periods of time in Irish cricket.

Irish cricket has been around since the 18th century. There have been many players, moments and matches that have exemplified the best of our sport over the years - but could the last six years be considered the period of greatest 'progress' in Irish cricket?

I'm sure that's controversial to some - but I'll attempt to justify it why it may be.

Firstly, a caveat...

I fully acknowledge that the progress over the last six years has not happened in a vacuum. It has absolutely been built "on the shoulders of giants”. Many great humans have played, developed, officiated, volunteered for, administered and coached over the years in Irish cricket. Of course, some of the very best humans make the "cricket teas" (if you don't know, google it).

However, has there ever been so much progress in such a relatively short space of time?

I will attempt to highlight why I think the last six years is certainly up there in "the greatest periods of Irish cricket" shortlist. Very high up there.

OK, here goes...

First, let's look back at CCC as the first evidence...

1. Under-19s World Cup

During my first week in the role back in 2018, I was taken out to Dublin airport to help welcome home the men’s under-19s squad from the U19 World Cup. Looking back at the names in the squad - Harry Tector, Josh Little, Neil Rock, Morgan Topping to name just a few - it was a good young side.

But…

• firstly, the squad had to qualify for the tournament; and
• secondly, there was great enthusiasm coming home with one group stage win (a brilliant victory over an Afghanistan side who had beaten Pakistan and Sri Lanka a few days earlier) and two solid wins over Namibia and PNG in the Plate before they came up against a West Indies side who chased down 279, ending Irish involvement.

Come forward six years and just consider the progress:

• the Men’s Under-19s, who have just arrived home, had automatically qualified for this edition after an excellent tournament in 2022;
• by finishing 8th this year (our highest-ever finish), we have also automatically qualified for the next Under-19 World Cup in 2026; and
• along the way we beat New Zealand, a feat no Irish side has ever done in cricket before.

Progress.

Absolute progress.

In addition to the Men, within the span of the last six years the women’s Under-19 World Cup has also launched and the Irish squad made it to the Super Six stage of that inaugural event.

Progress.

Absolute progress.

2. Ireland Women v Zimbabwe

The very week I started in 2018 coincided with Ireland Women’s tour on Zimbabwe - this weekend the squad returned from a like tour.

The fixtures were similar, but how different the circumstances:

• putting aside that five of the eight matches in 2018 were rained off, the Irish side in 2018 eked out a 1-1 draw in the ODM series and lost 1-0 in the T20 series;
• it was probably fair to say the 2018 version of Zimbabwe was slightly the better side in local conditions. While the fully-amateur (in a 'contractual' sense) Ireland side - who were without some of their key players due to unavailability - handed debuts to several young players (including a promising but ‘raw’ leg spinner from Belfast called Cara Murray).

Cast forward six years;

• a professionally contracted Irish squad dominated Zimbabwe (2-0 ODI series win, 5-0 T20I series win);
• it wasn’t just the results but the manner of the results - confident, buoyant…not there to compete, there to win; and
• what of that leg spinner from Belfast? Cara walked away from this latest tour with the best-ever bowling figures for Ireland Women in ODIs (6-31) and took 15 wickets on tour.

Progress.

Absolute progress.

I'm not yet convinced...what else have you got?

Plenty! In the last six years...

• started by Graham Ford and built on by Heinrich Malan, we have gone through a major transformation of the Ireland Men’s squad. It is becoming a competitive three-format team (a vastly underestimated feat) and has a growing sense of itself - not afraid of any opponent. It's not been a smooth ride at times, but the squad capped off 2023 with a barnstorming double series win over Zimbabwe in Zimbabwe.
• the Ireland Women's squad is improving rapidly, its profile is growing rapidly...and the expectations are now increasing rapidly! A large driver of it is the contracts, the leadership of Ed Joyce and the willingness of the players to throw themselves into professional sporting life.

Still not convinced? OK, well, in the last six years:

• We offered playing contracts to women cricketers (currently 23)
• We have a batter in the ODI top 10 world rankings
• We have Irishmen playing in the IPL and other major franchise leagues
• We have had Irishwomen playing in franchise leagues and county competitions in the last 12 months
• We beat England at the 2022 Men's T20 World Cup
• We achieved qualification for the ICC Women’s Championship
• We now play a vastly larger fixture schedule (one we can afford!) - we had 27 home internationals in 2022 alone!
• We signed a first broadcast deal
• We opened a High Performance Centre
• We beat England at the 2022 Men's T20 World Cup
• We have full-time coaching and support staff for Ireland Women

• We've seen great improvements in the quality of the Inter-Pro and Super Series competitions
• We get good viewing numbers of our new livestream service
• Did I mention we beat England at the 2022 Men's T20 World Cup?
• We have invested in developing pathway structures on both men’s and women’s sides
• We have invested in, and seen increased work from Provincial Unions
• We have seen greater awareness of the all-Ireland Club Cup competitions, and we have launched the first all-Ireland women's club cup competition
• We have invested in equipment, facilities and ground upgrades, including bringing hybrid pitch technology to Ireland
• We launched national programmes for kids
• We've seen immense growth in media and online profile - growing our channels to have (collectively) the second-largest social media community in Irish sport.

Progress.

Absolute progress.

Everything is rosy, then?

Definitely not, there are many “to do’s” across Irish cricket. Many.

In a sense, Irish cricket is, and will always be, a work-in-progress. Completing the climb to one peak has only revealed there are further peaks to climb.

There's a kids joke that comes to mind at this point...

Q. How do you eat an elephant?

A. One bite at a time.

OK, it wasn't the most hilarious joke, but every bite is progress. Just like with Irish cricket - every dot point above is a "bite"...and over the last six years we have been biting like crazy!

Progress.

Absolute progress.

Why am I so focussed on 'progress'?

To be serious for a moment - cricket is changing...the world around us is changing...the expectations and obligations we come up against are changing.

Being an international sports organisation in the 21st century is rapidly changing and increasingly challenging. For example, there are times that we have to be more of an expert on the international currency market exchange rate than the match run rate.

To update a well-known quote for the 21st century: there are only three guarantees in life - death, taxes and change.

Change is something we've, in reality, always faced.

Don't like 'change'?

There’s a phrase I was once told: “If you don’t like change, you’ll like irrelevance even less”.

So, if Irish cricket wants to remain relevant and manage our way through a changing landscape, what should we do?

We must seek 'progress'.

To ensure Irish cricket is sustainable, successful and growing in the future, progress should be our main goal.

In Yoda's words (that he never said): measure progress, how?

Maybe he said "measure progress, how young Jedi?", I haven't re-watched Star Wars for a decade or so, so my memory is a bit sketchy.

But Yoda had a point: how do you define AND THEN measure the concept of 'progress'?

For Irish cricket, progress can mean different things for different areas of the sport.

OK, that sounds a bit wishy-washy...so here's a simplified example…

• If we invest in structures and facilities (progress), we’ll have better players (progress).
• If we develop better players (progress), we’ll have more competitive and successful teams (progress).
• If we have see more competitive and successful teams (progress), we’ll gain profile (progress). If we gain profile, we’ll attract sponsors, investment, fans that will increase revenue (progress).
• If we increase our revenue base (progress) then it gives us a greater opportunity to invest more money back into the sport. Better facilities, better programmes, better support for grassroots (progress).

Or another way of looking at it:

• If we have see more competitive and successful teams (progress), we’ll gain profile. If we gain profile, we’ll create heroes/role models. If we create heroes/role models then we’ll inspire kids and attract them to play or support cricket. That grows participation. That makes a healthier grassroots and, in turn, a greater pipeline of talent to the national teams. PROGRESS!

Oh, look at the photo below - did you know we beat England at the 2022 Men's T20 World Cup?

So, can Irish cricket 'progress' further?

If the last six years in Irish cricket has taught me anything, it's taught me to say: "Why not.”

• Why not set our sights on playing Test cricket at Lord’s?
• Why not believe a 16 year old Irish cricketer can hit an international century?
• Why not plot to beat the best side in the world at a T20 World Cup?
• Why not give playing contracts to women?
• Why not believe both men’s and women’s sides can win four series out of four in Zimbabwe within two months?
• Why not almost chase down 225 against India in a T20I or almost chase down 361 against the Black Caps in an ODI?
• Why not target automatic qualification to U19s world cups (men’s and women’s)?
• Why not launch Ireland’s first All-Ireland women’s club cup competition?
• Why not launch new national programmes for kids?
• Why not bid to co-host a world cup?
• Why not set out to develop Ireland's first permanent cricket stadium?

Why not, indeed.

Now, will we ever have the budgets and resources of the BCCI or ECB? No.

Will we ever be another New Zealand Cricket? No, we aren't New Zealand.

We are Irish cricket, we have to find our own way, and determine our own progress.

I truly believe Irish cricket is what we make it. It may be a work-in-progress...but it's our progress.

That’s what six years has taught me and I look forward to seeing what progress the next six brings.

Oh, and, for the record, while there are many moments and matches that illustrated Irish cricket's 'progress' (eg. 2001 Women's European Championship, 2007 and 2011 Men's World Cup wins), as far as systemic and sport-wide progress goes, the last six years is hard to beat.

————

In six years from now, what would you consider progress for Irish cricket if it were to be achieved?