Ireland's cricketing fraternity will be hoping it's not another four years before they receive the attention their achievements deserve
Currently cruising at about 37,000ft en route home from the Cricket World Cup, Ireland's players and backroom staff can be rightly proud of their time Down Under.
With three wins in Pool B, two of which came against test-playing nations, the team led by Will Porterfield came agonisingly close to qualifying for the knockout stages of the tournament, only losing out on net run rate to West Indies, a side they defeated in their opening fixture.
Off the field, Irish fans were universally welcomed and applauded for their contributions and, once again, through the cogent arguments of senior players like Porterfield (below) and Ed Joyce, as well as Cricket Ireland chief Warren Deutrom, the folly of the International Cricket Council's decision to reduce the number of teams at the next World Cup from 14 to 10 was exposed.
As it stands, Ireland's hopes of reaching the 2019 tournament in England are dramatically reduced, with the top eight teams in the world guaranteed a place and the remaining two spots filled in a ten-team qualifying tournament that, based on current rankings, would include the likes of Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, the latter of which has the advantage of hosting the event.
So, between now and then, what do Ireland need to do to ensure they are at the 2019 World Cup and, once there, are even more competitive?
Off the field
Ireland's reputation has been greatly enhanced over the last four weeks, and the campaign for greater recognition from the ICC will continue. Many important voices in world cricket, from ex-players to current stars, have come out in favour of reversing the 2019 World Cup cuts.
The long-term goal is to become the 11th country to be granted Full Member Status, which would enter Ireland onto the Future Tours programme (the method by which Test - and usually by extension One-Day International - series between current full members are scheduled over a five-year period).
Cricket Ireland have set a target of 2020 to achieve this goal but, in the shorter term, a greater number of one-day matches against Test nations has to be the aim. In the four years prior to the World Cup, Ireland, currently 11th in the ICC rankings behind only the ten full members, played just 16 recognised ODIs, and of these only eight came against those above them in the rankings. With full members playing between 37 and 88 matches in the same period, Ireland's opportunities to claim much-needed ranking points to enable them to rise up the table are limited.
The past decade has seen the administration and organisation of Irish cricket come on in leaps and bounds and the majority of Irish players now fully professional, with nine contracted to English counties and a further seven on full-time central contracts with Cricket Ireland, allowing players to give the same level of devotion to the sport as rivals in other countries.
However, the potential drain of talent that saw Joyce, Eoin Morgan and, most recently, Boyd Rankin opt to represent England can only realistically be stopped once Ireland has the opportunity to play at the highest level.
On the field
Ireland's shortcomings during the World Cup were evident and there is no quick fix but the silver lining is that at least those behind the scenes know exactly what areas must be addressed for the team's ambitions to be realised.
The most glaring issue is the lack of a strike bowler to spearhead the attack. Despite the valiant efforts of John Mooney and Alex Cusack, Ireland badly missed having 6ft 8in Boyd Rankin rumbling in at pace with the new ball, and without someone that can get their deliveries up to around 140km/h things will always be more difficult. At 23, Stuart Thompson (below) showed glimpses in his two matches in Australia, but his development, and that of other prospects like Craig Young and Peter Chase, will be a huge focus for the Irish coaching staff.
The batting line-up is in much better shape, with every one of the top seven notching at least one half-century in the tournament and five players, headed by Paul Stirling at 40, inside the top 62 of the ICC rankings (conversely, only spinner George Dockrell and Cusack featured in the top 80 bowlers). Ireland are also well-drilled in the field, thanks to the fine work done by head coach Phil Simmons and the example set by skipper Porterfield.
The other weakness in Ireland's game came in the final stages of each innings. With the ball they allowed opponents to post bigger than anticipated totals over the last ten overs and with the bat often fell short of what might have been expected themselves. Against both India and Pakistan for example, Ireland were headed to the crucial final ten overs in fine shape, at 200-3 and 180-4 respectively, yet were bowled out for 259 and 237.
It's hard to blame this on anything other than a lack of situational experience, particularly with the ball, something that can only be altered with the increase in regular games against top teams that has been mentioned above.
What's next?
Ireland face England and Australia in ODIs in Dublin and Belfast respectively this summer but aside from that there is little on the calendar for Irish fans to get excited about.
The defence of the four-day Intercontinental Cup title also begins this summer, but games against the likes of Hong Kong, Namibia and Papua New Guinea are hardly going to set pulses racing, despite their importance in maintaining Ireland's preeminence over the rest of associate cricket.
Ireland's next opportunity to compete on the world stage will come at next year's World Twenty20 in India, but Ireland must first book their place at the tournament at a qualifier in Scotland this summer while, assuming there is no change of heart by the ICC, qualifying for the next World Cup takes place in 2018.
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