CRICKET:What does Ireland need from an overseas professional? A simple question on the face of it. But over the last few weeks the Irish Cricket Union have found the hiring of talent to be an inexact science. It's a topic that highlights the dilemma faced by the game post-World Cup.
Under the ECB's rules, each team is allowed to field two overseas professionals for the nine Friends Provident Trophy matches. The Ireland gig is an attractive one for foreign talent. Nine games, condensed in to less than a month leaves the rest of the season to play, and earn money, elsewhere. Among the names rumoured to have been approached include Sanath Jayasuriya, Jacques Kallis and Shaun Pollock.
Vernon Philander, a 21-year-old all rounder from South Africa, was the first signing. He withdrew with injury shortly before Ireland came back from the Caribbean, and they went into the first game, against Kent at Stormont, without any help from the professional ranks.
Nanty Hayward was brought in to open the bowling for the second game, against Somerset. Finally, three games in to the campaign, Jesse Ryder, a 22-year-old from New Zealand, made his debut against Gloucestershire, batting at three. Both players are balancing playing for Ireland with club contracts. Ryder plays in Liverpool and Hayward in Berkshire. They commute to Ireland on the morning of the matches. Their records so far have been uninspiring. Hayward has taken seven wickets for 198 runs at more than six an over. Ryder's first two innings have been 0 and 2.
The best ones show real leadership on and off the field. They are role models for the younger players, teaching good habits and lifting the team to perform better. The counter argument is they take up places that could be filled by young Irish players who are a better long-term investment. For Ireland the debate goes deeper. The ICU receives no income from the ECB for playing in the Friends Provident. No cut of television rights, nor any of the away gate. This leaves home gate receipts as the only income. The disappointing crowds at Stormont and Clontarf means this will barely cover the cost of the two overseas professionals. The first game, at Stormont, reaped just £3,500.
Once the cost of flights, accommodation and expenses for away games are taken out, the ICU will have made a loss on their involvement. For this reason, there is an irony to the ECB's threat to expel Ireland from the competition next year. But this year has been peculiar in that the Friends Provident came so quickly following the team's homecoming from the World Cup. Four days separated touching down in Dublin and stepping out for the first game at Stormont. It was a whirl of media engagements, sponsor parties and photo opportunities. It's unsurprising the team are tired.
For this reason the desperate search for overseas players was justified. But the game here is in a catch 22 situation, torn between county and international, balancing short-term necessity with long-term ambition. Any notion Ireland becomes a 19th county can be dismissed quickly. Even if ICU were to want to do it, it's unlikely the counties will find room for another mouth to feed.
The cricket economy in England is one television contract away from meltdown. Sky pays £220 million for all live Tests and one day internationals played by England. That money props ups the county game. On the same day as Ireland were playing Gloucestershire in front of 200 people in Clontarf, Bangladesh hosted India in Mirpur, losing a tight game in front of several thousand people and a global TV audience.
Ireland's summer's itinerary is filling up. In addition to the visit of India and South Africa, West Indies are coming for a week in June and New Zealand have invited them to tour in the winter. Over the next two years Ireland have won the opportunity to make the jump. To have any chance of success they need to play, and pay, their best players. Because once they make the break from the counties, they won't be asked back.
