The names of the regulation 14 players, whose goal it will be to win World Cup qualification for Ireland when they compete in the ICC Trophy in cricket-crazy Canada later this summer, were announced two weeks ago in Belfast. All right, there were no plumes of white smoke, but it was a tense occasion, and the disappointment of those who had failed to make the cut was almost tangible.
That selection followed two trial matches, a three-week playing-cum-training camp in South Africa, long weekends of winter indoor training, as well as the forays made around the country by national coach Ken Rutherford to see individual players at club level. Every match which the national squad plays between now and departure for Toronto will be vital, both in terms of personal and team preparation, which makes the rush of defections from the side in action at Eglinton tomorrow all the more astonishing and, indeed, inexcusable.
For a variety of reasons, five of the chosen 14 have made themselves unavailable for this match, which is sure to be a hard game, given that the opposition is composed of full-time professionals plying their trade in North West cricket. That missing quintet includes Decker Curry, the vice-captain, the others being Ryan Eagleson, Derek Heasley, Ed Joyce and Paul Mooney.
So great has been the fall-out that the selectors have been obliged to call up two players from the four-man, non-travelling reserves - Mark Gillespie and Gary Neely. No doubt there are some good and sound reasons behind the absence of at least some of the Fabulous Five, but coach Rutherford is said to be rather less than amused by a situation which, quite simply, should never have arisen in the first place.
It's difficult not to wonder if there is a touch of complacency to be detected here - the "I've made the squad and I can't be left out of it now" syndrome. Let's hope not, for otherwise all the preparations for Toronto and ICC Trophy would be just so much wasted effort, and please, don't even mention that word "commitment".
Meanwhile, the national women's team will be in action on both days over the weekend, against Staffordshire at College Park. Richard Davies has succeeded John Wills as national coach, and he will also watch the Ireland Development team taking on Staffordshire on Monday, at Anglesea Road, where play will begin at 1.00 p.m.
The Leinster Senior 50 Overs League - sponsored by Lewis Traub - resumes over the week-end, after last Saturday's break for the Royal Liver Cup first round.
