The Associates thread

[PhatBoy]

Massive win for Afghanistan coming up. Should really be rewarded test status next month rather than wait until a 3 match series against Zimbabwe in 2018 to get it. Can see Afghanistan ranking ahead of West Indies, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh by 2020.

The same Bangladesh who have beaten England and Sri Lanka in the last few months?

 

[the universal]

That's about as emphatic a result as you're going to get in applying for Test status. Just give it to them, what is there to lose?

 

[Hellgood]

That's a quality (though missing Rankin) and experienced lineup that the Afghani's just thoroughly dismantled.

Very pleased that the system is changing slowly, but the rate at which they are improving the sooner we see them playing for five days the better IMO.

 

[Sammo360]

Massive win for Afghanistan coming up. Should really be rewarded test status next month rather than wait until a 3 match series against Zimbabwe in 2018 to get it. Can see Afghanistan ranking ahead of West Indies, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh by 2020.

Yeah seems more likely than ever Test status will be awarded to Afghanistan (and Ireland) at the ICC Board meeting next month.

 

[Seldom Seen Kid]

Ireland are in a poor enough place at the moment. Aging stars, poor coaching and lack of trust in the youth all culminated in that horror show against Afghanistan. Who, to be fair, look like a really quality side on the up and should progress rapidly up the rankings in the next few years and are fully deserving of test status.

This is an excellent summary of where Ireland are currently at. The most baffling thing for me was the deployment of John Anderson as the second seamer. Who, to the best of my knowledge, and according to cricinfo stats, has been a batsman and very occasional bowler for his whole career. While leaving Barry McCarthy, who was excellent in patches for Durham last year, carrying the drinks. All very odd

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

I've said it beore. Ireland, to me, are in that true testing phase. Did they have a golden generation, or are they producing cricketers regularly enough?
The real deal, or the new Kenya? (Bangladesh were never made to face that question before being promoted, but there was never any doubt about the popularity of the game there.)
Afghanistan will face that same question at some stage, though it maybe ten years away and they should be a Test nation by then (despite their inability to host games for who knows how many more decades).

 

[Hellgood]

I think that there are far too many more positives for Ireland going forward for them to end up anywhere near as sad a case as Kenya did. I reckon their bowling crop coming through (Chase, McCarthy, Mulder & Dockrell still young enough to have plenty of cricket in front of him) is fine, battign starting to age a bit though which will be their challenge. Off field they seem to be run very competently and starting to develop a well organised structure at the second level.

They don't quite have the individual brilliance nor rough diamond talent which the Afghani's have harvested brilliantly over past few years so may fall behind a bit in the relative race, but on the whole they are well positioned as second cab off the rank (which is somewhat disappointing for them given it was primarily on the back of their performances that led a lot of the discussion of opening up a spot or two for test qualification).

 

[Yoda_]

I think that there are far too many more positives for Ireland going forward for them to end up anywhere near as sad a case as Kenya did. I reckon their bowling crop coming through (Chase, McCarthy, Mulder & Dockrell still young enough to have plenty of cricket in front of him) is fine, battign starting to age a bit though which will be their challenge. Off field they seem to be run very competently and starting to develop a well organised structure at the second level.

They don't quite have the individual brilliance nor rough diamond talent which the Afghani's have harvested brilliantly over past few years so may fall behind a bit in the relative race, but on the whole they are well positioned as second cab off the rank (which is somewhat disappointing for them given it was primarily on the back of their performances that led a lot of the discussion of opening up a spot or two for test qualification).

Ireland did all the hard work only for Afghanistan to swoop in on it and claim the next test status spot

 

[Muffin_Man]

india are pretty much untouchable at home in tests in india.
but take them out of india, say to england or australia and they struggle.
so how they became the number one test team in the world is
completely beyond me.

 

[Hellgood]

india are pretty much untouchable at home in tests in india.
but take them out of india, say to england or australia and they struggle.
so how they became the number one test team in the world is
completely beyond me.

Um because that is literally the same argument you could make about any other contending team. And the one side who generally travels well (South Africa) have had some mixed results over past year and a half.

 

[ioppolo]

Wonder how we'd go if we faced Afghanistan in the UAE in a test?

We'd win but it wouldn't be convincing. Rashad Khan would have half our batsman shitting the bed.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

I think that there are far too many more positives for Ireland going forward for them to end up anywhere near as sad a case as Kenya did. I reckon their bowling crop coming through (Chase, McCarthy, Mulder & Dockrell still young enough to have plenty of cricket in front of him) is fine, battign starting to age a bit though which will be their challenge. Off field they seem to be run very competently and starting to develop a well organised structure at the second level.

They don't quite have the individual brilliance nor rough diamond talent which the Afghani's have harvested brilliantly over past few years so may fall behind a bit in the relative race, but on the whole they are well positioned as second cab off the rank (which is somewhat disappointing for them given it was primarily on the back of their performances that led a lot of the discussion of opening up a spot or two for test qualification).

All fair comment, and I dodn't raise the ghost of Kenya because I expect them to go down that path. I did so because now is the time to prove they aren't headed that way. (And, no, I don't think they are. But they are a small nation, where cricket is not especially popular. Unlike Kenya they seem to have done the right things to set themselves up going forward.)

Of course, the other huge unanswered question is : do nations even want Test status? There's no money in Test cricket, the players and administrators are financially far better off being T20 heroes. Just at look at West Indies, Test cricket is nothing more than a way to get their name known for an IPL contract. And its even losing that lure because the games are so different.

 

[barrackers]

All fair comment, and I dodn't raise the ghost of Kenya because I expect them to go down that path. I did so because now is the time to prove they aren't headed that way. (And, no, I don't think they are. But they are a small nation, where cricket is not especially popular. Unlike Kenya they seem to have done the right things to set themselves up going forward.)

Of course, the other huge unanswered question is : do nations even want Test status? There's no money in Test cricket, the players and administrators are financially far better off being T20 heroes. Just at look at West Indies, Test cricket is nothing more than a way to get their name known for an IPL contract. And its even losing that lure because the games are so different.

Ireland has lost a few players to England after they chased a test cap, so there's some benefit for associates having test status outside of the prestige. Stronger associates can only help the game.

 

[PhatBoy]

india are pretty much untouchable at home in tests in india.
but take them out of india, say to england or australia and they struggle.
so how they became the number one test team in the world is
completely beyond me.

Australia are pretty much untouchable at home. But take them out of India, say to England or India or Sri Lanka or the UAE and they struggle. So how they were a chance of becoming the number one test team in the world before the India series is beyond me.

 

[Marklar_33]

india are pretty much untouchable at home in tests in india.
but take them out of india, say to england or australia and they struggle.
so how they became the number one test team in the world is
completely beyond me.

Unbelievably strange post for this thread...

 

[Resistor]

Yeah, India and associates couldn't be any further apart

 

[corbies]

Gee Ireland were poor against England last night.

 

[Resistor]

Should change thread title to Associate thread, as affiliates will become obsolete soon.

 

[Sammo360]

Gee Ireland were poor against England last night.

Yeah, Rashid ran through their middle order with ease.

 

[Hellgood]

Hopefully they'll bounce back with a good show at Lords tonight.

 

[t_94]

Reckon the golden generation that has carried Ireland for so long is cooked. Unfortunate that it comes at a time when they are so close to test status.

Still hoping they can turn it around tonight.

 

[The_Reaper]

Ireland will be fine. England are a very good ODI team.

 

[Hellgood]

Ireland will be fine. England are a very good ODI team.

Agreed, they have a very strong line up right now.

Certainly put up a better show last night / this morning, England got the job done though thanks to the middle order trio of Root, Morgan and Bairstow, with a spirited Irish batting effort led by Porterfield stifled by the pace of Plunkett.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Ireland will be fine. England are a very good ODI team.

Just about to begin a tri-series hosting BAN and NZ. Hopefully its a good close series. If both those sides compete well with NZ it has to be good for the game.
IRE v BAN first up. Assuming they get a start, covers on 6 minutes before the scheduled start.

 

[Freo Big Fella]

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/1098759.html

Warm-up or no warm-up, a very encouraging result for Scotland.