Before two T20 series, Ireland captain Andrew Balbirnie The worried second-line Indian team talks about putting pressure on the T20 league and opportunities.
Part:
How do you see this short two-match T20I series against the second line Indian team?
This is a big opportunity for us. They have so many experienced players in the T20 format. they have a squad England For a Test match and then there is a team that is coming to Ireland to play us in T20s. They are all looking to impress. There are many such players in this Indian T20 team who are looking for a place in the team with full force. So there will be pressure on them too. We play NZ every few weeks. With the T20 WC coming up in October, there are a lot of players who want to lay claim to it. So there is a chance for the players on both sides.
Ireland is a full member of the ICC. Still, you’ll have to rely on big teams traveling to the UK to play these smaller international games…
It’s great to play him in Dublin. Cricket is still a developing sport in Ireland. to play in such great teams Dublin And Belfast Helps in the development of sports in the country. Naturally, as cricketers we would like to travel. I was not a part of 2011 world Cup In India but those who were saying that it was the greatest experience. We have a 50-over WC to qualify for next year.
Has the introduction of a contract system helped professionalize the sport in Ireland?
When I started playing professional cricket, I had to play in England and so did many others. We now have 23 players on contract for Ireland who have access to training as much as they want. This has helped the coaches to see these players on a day to day basis.
Importance of T20 league for players of small cricket countries
We have got a lot of players who are good in the T20 format. We all know how competitive it is to be in the IPL. This is a huge ambition for many of us. This is the pinnacle of T20 cricket. You see how fast some players develop when they reach the league. We have many players who play in different leagues but not in IPL. When he comes back to the Irish team, there is a lot of experience and learning to take with him.
The ICC has decided to increase the number of participating teams from the next round of ICC events.
It is an incentive. The best moments in Irish cricket have come in 50 overs world Cup, Because of what the Irish team did in the 2007, 2011 and 2015 WC, we have now signed players. This is an opportunity to showcase the sport in the country and what we can do at that level. Ireland will help countries below in the years to come, Netherlands And Scotland Those who have worked hard without much funding.
Despite getting Test status, Ireland has not played a Test since 2019.
I have been fortunate enough to play three Tests for Ireland. We have reached a position where we had chances to win them all but we didn’t take those chances. I am 31 now and there is no scheduled test match in the future. This is very disappointing. All the players are eager to play Test cricket but we don’t want to play one-sided here and there. We want to play at least 5-6 Tests a year so that the players get a chance to learn and build their game.
(Watch Ireland-India T20I series on 26 and 28 June 2022 at 9:00 PM IST on Sony SIX (English), Sony TEN 3 (Hindi) and Sony TEN 4 (Tamil and Telugu))
Part:
How do you see this short two-match T20I series against the second line Indian team?
This is a big opportunity for us. They have so many experienced players in the T20 format. they have a squad England For a Test match and then there is a team that is coming to Ireland to play us in T20s. They are all looking to impress. There are many such players in this Indian T20 team who are looking for a place in the team with full force. So there will be pressure on them too. We play NZ every few weeks. With the T20 WC coming up in October, there are a lot of players who want to lay claim to it. So there is a chance for the players on both sides.
Ireland is a full member of the ICC. Still, you’ll have to rely on big teams traveling to the UK to play these smaller international games…
It’s great to play him in Dublin. Cricket is still a developing sport in Ireland. to play in such great teams Dublin And Belfast Helps in the development of sports in the country. Naturally, as cricketers we would like to travel. I was not a part of 2011 world Cup In India but those who were saying that it was the greatest experience. We have a 50-over WC to qualify for next year.
Has the introduction of a contract system helped professionalize the sport in Ireland?
When I started playing professional cricket, I had to play in England and so did many others. We now have 23 players on contract for Ireland who have access to training as much as they want. This has helped the coaches to see these players on a day to day basis.
Importance of T20 league for players of small cricket countries
We have got a lot of players who are good in the T20 format. We all know how competitive it is to be in the IPL. This is a huge ambition for many of us. This is the pinnacle of T20 cricket. You see how fast some players develop when they reach the league. We have many players who play in different leagues but not in IPL. When he comes back to the Irish team, there is a lot of experience and learning to take with him.
The ICC has decided to increase the number of participating teams from the next round of ICC events.
It is an incentive. The best moments in Irish cricket have come in 50 overs world Cup, Because of what the Irish team did in the 2007, 2011 and 2015 WC, we have now signed players. This is an opportunity to showcase the sport in the country and what we can do at that level. Ireland will help countries below in the years to come, Netherlands And Scotland Those who have worked hard without much funding.
Despite getting Test status, Ireland has not played a Test since 2019.
I have been fortunate enough to play three Tests for Ireland. We have reached a position where we had chances to win them all but we didn’t take those chances. I am 31 now and there is no scheduled test match in the future. This is very disappointing. All the players are eager to play Test cricket but we don’t want to play one-sided here and there. We want to play at least 5-6 Tests a year so that the players get a chance to learn and build their game.
(Watch Ireland-India T20I series on 26 and 28 June 2022 at 9:00 PM IST on Sony SIX (English), Sony TEN 3 (Hindi) and Sony TEN 4 (Tamil and Telugu))