While commentating on Ireland's T20 World Cup win over the Netherlands, former wicketkeeper Niall O'Brien caught everyone's attention with a story about the discovery of Curtis Campher.
The South African-born all-rounder had just taken four wickets in as many balls, a feat only achieved twice previously in T20 internationals.
O’Brien recalled that, while playing in 2018 for a local South African side against a touring Ireland, Campher approached to tell him he had an Irish passport.
After taking one for 21 – dismissing his future Ireland skipper Andrew Balbirnie – and scoring 49 with the bat, a then 18-year-old Campher was invited into the Irish changingroom to discuss his future. Two years later he was debuting against England.
Sounds like something out of the Jack Charlton era of recruitment.
Sadly the story isn’t quite as romantic. Irish officials behind the scenes had been aware of Campher’s eligibility since 2017.
But what of the mid-game conversation with O’Brien?
“That did happen” confirms Campher. “During the game after I hit a few fours he wanted to see if I could come over as an overseas pro and I said to him ‘look, I’ve got an Irish passport’.
“I first trained with the Irish side in 2017 [when Ireland were on an earlier tour of South Africa]. I told them then that I had an Irish passport and that I wanted to come over, not even to play for Ireland but first to go over to make friends and play some club cricket.”
After being fast-tracked into the Ireland side for that 2020 series against England, there were familiar rumblings against selecting foreign-born players, especially since the pandemic had prevented Campher from playing a game of club cricket on these shores.
“That’s understandable,” he admits. “If you’re an Irish supporter and someone hasn’t been born or grown up there and is playing for the national team, there’s always going to be that hesitancy.
“I don’t lie and say I am full-bred Irish, I am in the sense that my grandmother was.
“Players in the Irish set-up were surprisingly welcoming. I didn’t expect that because the reality is that I came in and someone lost their contract.
“I understood all this when I was moving. I’d like to think that everyone knew I came for the right reasons. Once someone has chosen that route, athletes are willing to commit their lives and move to a new country. I think that’s why everyone was nice to me.”
It’s difficult to argue with the ‘right reasons’ argument when Campher opens up on Ireland’s recent exit from the World Cup. Playing against Namibia in a winner-takes-all clash for progression, a favoured Ireland were sent packing.
Safe to say it was a long flight home?
“Sheesh, yeah it was. No one wants to be on that flight. To be beaten by a team that had done really well, but which we would like to think that if we played them in a full series we would be winning nine times out of 10, that was the most frustrating thing.
“Things didn’t go our way: Mark Adair got injured and couldn’t review an LBW. Craig Young bowled [Gerhard] Erasmus but the bail didn’t come off.
“Yes we didn’t play that well, but a five-over spell in 40 overs lost us the game. I love to watch cricket but I just couldn’t watch the World Cup [after that]. It irritated me so much.”
At least there's an outlet for the frustration at the upcoming Abu Dhabi T10. Playing for the Chennai Braves, Campher's first potential game comes on Saturday.
A rare opportunity to play in an overseas domestic tournament brings the pressure placed on a foreign player to deliver, while also offering valuable time to learn from more experienced pros.
Campher’s expectations, though, temper any unnecessary expectation.
“If you can impact just two games in the whole competition and win those for your team, you’ve done your job.
“If you put pressure on yourself you make it worse. If I end up carrying the water for most of the games I’m happy to do that, I’m happy to learn. I’m young and that’s the best thing about it.
“If I can get a game or two and get on a roll then that’s even better for my career – and for Irish cricket too.”
