By Forbes
MARK Adair raised both arms in triumph after the powerfully-built bowler smashed a boundary to seal Ireland’s first Test victory at home.
As Zimbabwe slumped off the turf in Stormont, completing Northern Ireland’s first Test as hosts, jubilant Irish players embraced giddy fans in the terraces of the picturesque small ground to the east of Belfast.
The Irish players and their supporters were understandably savoring the moment on a typically mild summer’s day in late July. As a smaller Full Member nation – the 12 countries given more power, fixtures and funds in cricket’s tiered system – Ireland don’t play Test cricket often.
It was just their ninth Test since debuting in 2018 against Pakistan, Ireland’s only previous home match in the long format. Ireland have now clinched consecutive Test victories after their historic breakthrough against Afghanistan in the UAE earlier this year.
“The young guys have taken to Test cricket, realized how special it is. Test cricket is the ultimate challenge and the guys love it,” Ireland high performance director Richard Holdsworth told me.
But their momentum is set to stall, with Ireland not slated to play another Test match until a return bout in Zimbabwe early next year.
Ireland had to postpone an upcoming home limited-overs series against Australia due to financial difficulties and forced to host white-ball cricket against South Africa in the UAE.
It was also Zimbabwe’s first Test match in almost 18 months. Zimbabwe, Ireland and Afghanistan are Full Members not part of the nine-team World Test Championship aimed to revitalize and provide context for the five-day format struggling for popularity in some parts of the world.
There has long been discussion over Test cricket’s future. As reported in 2021, there were calls to resurrect a Test match fund.
The powerhouses of Australia, England and India have been under pressure to act. There has been a belief that an inevitable shrinkage of Test cricket will reduce the number of nations to around five or six.
A blueprint to save Test cricket by New Zealand board director Martin Sneddon was presented at March’s International Cricket Council quarterly meetings, but went nowhere, those present told me.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, a dedicated Test fund is set to be resurrected with a minimum Test match fee of $10,000 for players.
It is an initiative from Australia and will be aimed at countries such as Ireland and Zimbabwe struggling to retain players lured by lucrative shorter form countries, with the well-heeled T10 Cayman Islands league proving a new entrant in cricket’s saturated market.
The concept has not been discussed at ICC board level, but does have backing from India boss Jay Shah, who is set to take the reins as chair of the ICC.
They have had to grapple with the unavailability of star quick Josh Little, who was the first Irish player to receive a deal in the money-spinning Indian Premier League. The 24-year-old has played in a slew of franchise leagues around the world, but yet to play Test cricket.
Little has not played First-Class cricket since 2019.
“He wants to play Test cricket,” Holdsworth said of Little. “It’s (franchise cricket) a different world…earning significant money and he’s seen the limelight.
“But reality has set in and he’s realized that there is more in the game than that. He knows if he plays for Ireland he needs to be well prepared. He needs First-Class cricket behind him.”
While a Test match fund is certainly needed and welcome, whether it is nearly enough to ward off large sums of money from India and its deepening footprints are another matter.
And so too whether the trio of powerhouses will actually play the smaller nations, who for decades have been neglected and left to fixture matches among themselves.
England, however, will host Zimbabwe next year in the first Test match between the countries since 2003. England’s cricket board said it will introduce a touring fee to help Zimbabwe financially for the one-off Test.
But those left off the WTC want to be part of it in the future.
“The best way is for the WTC to feature all 12 countries and possibly top Associates, and include promotion and relegation,” Zimbabwe boss Tavengwa Mukuhlani said.
“Countries like us, Ireland and Afghanistan don’t have context playing Test cricket.”