8 team Associate T20I tourney in Jan; BD, Zim invited?

[sloandog]

Great movie. Forest Whitaker's finest performance, one of my favourite actors. Read George Meredith's State of Africa. Brilliant book. Obote, Amin's successor, made Amin look like Mother Theresa.

Obote was in office before Amin as well wasn't he?

[eugene]

Yes he was.

[sloandog]

And they elected him after Amin...genius

[CrimsonAvenger]

Looks like the 8 team T20 is happening after all. Ireland have even announced a squad: https://www.rte.ie/sport/cricket/2016/1 ... -campaign/

Wake up ZC, we need more T20 cricket!

[zimbofan88]

Ireland has so many good players, and most of them play in the counties. Tim Murtagh, Rankin, Balbarnie, Porterfield, Stirling, Joyce, Obrain brothers etc are all very talented players. I dont understand how they cant consistently thrash Bangaldesh and Zim. Maybe they are missing a right combination or are just one unlucky team.

[Googly]

And they elected him after Amin...genius

In African politics I think you make sure you elect yourself. It's too risky to allow the democratic process to function.

[Kriterion_BD]

Ireland has so many good players, and most of them play in the counties. Tim Murtagh, Rankin, Balbarnie, Porterfield, Stirling, Joyce, Obrain brothers etc are all very talented players. I dont understand how they cant consistently thrash Bangaldesh and Zim. Maybe they are missing a right combination or are just one unlucky team.

Ireland have been wretched since doing well (as usual) at the 2015 WC. They were absolutely murdered by both Sri Lanka and Pakistan who aren't very good ODI sides at the moment.

I really hope the Irish didnt peak and are on their way down like Kenya after a golden generation. I hope their county experience means they will be a solid Test team but at the moment they look quite useless.

[aydee]

Ireland has so many good players, and most of them play in the counties. Tim Murtagh, Rankin, Balbarnie, Porterfield, Stirling, Joyce, Obrain brothers etc are all very talented players. I dont understand how they cant consistently thrash Bangaldesh and Zim. Maybe they are missing a right combination or are just one unlucky team.

Ireland have been wretched since doing well (as usual) at the 2015 WC. They were absolutely murdered by both Sri Lanka and Pakistan who aren't very good ODI sides at the moment.

I really hope the Irish didnt peak and are on their way down like Kenya after a golden generation. I hope their county experience means they will be a solid Test team but at the moment they look quite useless.

Their player base has certainly expanded nicely in the last decade or so. What they did have was a handful of particularly outstanding players, supported by a few ex-pats. Overall their cricket is in a decent place, and progressing nicely, but for now the national side is in a bit of a transition period.

[maehara]

for now the national side is in a bit of a transition period.

This. Not just the players (they've lost a few to retirement), but the coaching as well - Phil Simmons worked absolute magic with Ireland's limited resources, and it' seems to be taking a while for his replacement to find his feet.

(Zimbabwe's loss with dicking Simmons around was most certainly Ireland's gain.)

[brmtaylor.com admin]

Simmons' legacy is strong though. After all, he brought bowling sensation Daniel Jakiel over from Jamaica according to one of the in-the-knows on here.