Irish Cricket goes from strength to strength with the current final of the InterContinental Cup attracting significant mainstream media coverage at home and around the world.
Two overseas tournaments have also been added to the schedule for early 2014 as both the Men’s and Women’s senior teams prepare for appearances in the World T20 Finals in Bangladesh in March and April.
The Women’s team have been invited to participate in tournament consisting of Pakistan and South Africa to take place in Qatar between January 10th and 24th. The event is being hosted by the Pakistan Cricket Board and the funding for sending the team to the Middle East will be supported by the International Cricket Council.
Women’s Cricket around the world is growing rapidly. A survey in England this summer revealed that 60,000 women and young girls were playing the sport, making up 7% of the overall playing population. This was not previously measured in a meaningful way despite the fact that the first recorded women’s test match took place as far back as 1745.
The team travelling to Qatar includes players from five separate clubs and includes 13 year old Lucy O’Reilly who will put school work on hold for two spells this winter and spring as she travels the world in pursuit of her chosen sport.
“It will be tough going from stepping off the plane in Qatar to playing back to back matches against South Africa and Pakistan, but it seems like the perfect way to start 2014 – in at the deep end!” said team captain Isobel Joyce.
“We’ve never had such a busy off season with the squad working hard to get into good shape so hopefully that will pay off in Qatar.”
Read our Sport for Business interview with Cricket Ireland CEO Warren Deutrom from July 2013 and see his plans for how the sport is likely to grow in Ireland.
The Ireland Men’s A team will also be travelling to take part in a tournament in Sri Lanka between January 1st and 15th. They will take in four matches against local opponents under the gaze of the senior coaching team including Phil Simmons.
“It’s a great opportunity for these players to show me just what they’re capable of,” he said. “There are spots on the touring squads available and the extra motivation of going to a World Cup.”
“It’s always good to get a look at players in different conditions and under the pressure of playing abroad on unfamiliar pitches. There’s a healthy competition for places amongst Irish players now, and we have genuine depth to add to the quality that was always there.”
Cricket Ireland’s main sponsor is RSA, a major international insurance company with an active presence across the Middle East and the Indian sub continent. What may at first glance appear to be a local sponsorship will in 2014 pay significant dividend across a global footprint.
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