Irish Cricket: Will The Next Eoin Morgan Switch

Eoin Morgan at the crease for Ireland

6 years ago when Ed Joyce decided playing for England would serve his cricketing ambitions best I believe he was correct.


3 years later Eoin Morgan made the same decision and while perhaps there was more for him to ponder than in Joyce's case he still arguably had no real choice in the matter. While I'm not happy making these statements I am confident that progress on and off the pitch means the next player to have the option of playing for England will have a real decision to make.

The reasons Ireland's best cricketers have chosen to play for England are largely the same reasons you or I might choose to change role in our chosen professions the working environment, the pay on offer and the future opportunities the role might bring. Considering first the working environment what I am essentially talking about here is the opportunity to play top quality cricket whether it be in the longest format of the game or twenty 20 cricket. The typical Irish cricketers best opportunity to gain the environment which will allow them to reach their potential as an international cricketer is to impress enough to gain a contract in the English County system and then play for Ireland whenever club release rules allow the to. Though some of Ireland's finest players notably Trent Johnston play their cricket as club professionals in Ireland the more attractive route is still England due to training facilities, the superior professional structure and the standard of cricket played. The fact that Ireland's best young talents Dockrell, Thompson, McCarter and Young are all signed up to the county system shows this is still the only show in town. The main danger with these moves apart from now residing in England is the fact that some counties revenues are up to 50% funded by the English Cricket Board meaning that from a young age the ECB are effectively indirectly contributing more than Cricket Ireland to our best players. Essentially they are part of a system where the natural progression if you qualify for England which our players do after four years residency is to play for the English Lions and if you are good enough the English national team. As shown in the case of Hamish Marshall being unable to qualify for England may ultimately effect your ability to keep your county contract. The playing situation has progressed quite a bit since Joyce and Morgan originally made their decision. Fixtures against full member nations have increased, release agreements between the Irish Cricket Union and counties have become more common place and Cricket Ireland have begun to contract their players based in England meaning that Irish players have an official obligation to their national team which will have to be accepted by their county employers. Facilities in Ireland in terms of playing international remain a stumbling block though the proposed development at Malahide may yet be a massive step forward. What hasn't changed crucially is the opportunity for Ireland to play test cricket the reason generally cited by players when crossing the divide. Ireland as they did a number of years ago still only play roughly 3 first class games in the year through the inter continental cup. Worse still Ireland's premium county players are unavailable for these fixtures as the fixtures are not against full member countries or used in deciding world cup places. Ultimately this will continue to be an issue for Irish players like Dockrell and Rankin whose cricketing aptitudes are best suited towards the longest form of the game.

In every career especially one as short as professional cricket finance is a major factor. Some progress has been made here with the Irish Union now paying a salary to all their international player. Realistically Irish players will never receive the same level of pay as their English counterparts from their cricketing union and this is not necessarily something which needs to happen to close the floodgates permanently. The level of pay enjoyed by some Pakistani players demonstrates this. In my opinion the crux of the financial issue for players actually relates to the financial opportunities available to associate players in worldwide cricket in competitions like the big bash in Australia , the IPL and of course the English County Championship. The level of remuneration enjoyed by Luke Wright through his contracts in England, Australia and India is vastly different to that of Paul Stirling a player of at the very least similar ability. Morgan's move to play for England has considerably improved his finances through his central contract, IPL deal ($350000 per season) and personal sponsorship deals. These financial considerations would certainly be enough to bring a player persuaded by the playing arguments across the line.

As I complete this piece Boyd Rankin has decided to retire from international cricket for Ireland primarily for the reason that his best performances in cricket have come in the longer format of the game and a belief that ultimately he will be best served by concentrating on this format. Financial considerations and some aggressive man management at county level by former England player Ashley Giles have also contributed to his decision. I wish Boyd all the best in his pursuit of test cricket knowing that this decision hasn't been made without thought. For all the improvements which can still be made (fixtures, increased pay and exposure for Ireland players) unfortunately in order for the next Boyd Rankin a certain George Dockrell maybe to make a different decision the ICC will have to create a clear path for Ireland to become a test nation.