merrion street

Sports' Minister Leo Varadkar is today offering his full backing to Cricket Ireland’s efforts to overturn their removal from the next Cricket World Cup.  The Minister is hosting a reception in Farmleigh this evening for the Irish cricket team to celebrate their stunning achievement in the recent Cricket World Cup. He is using the occasion to criticise the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) decision to prevent Ireland from competing again in 2015.

I fully support the efforts of Cricket Ireland and the other non-Test countries to persuade the ICC Board to reverse their decision.  And I want you to know that my offices are available to assist the associate nations in their campaign to have this decision reversed, in any way that you see fit’.

A World Cup restricted to ten teams is not a World Cup at all.  And the decision made by the ICC does not reflect the values of a sport that aims to be a gentleman’s game.  To coin another phrase, it’s just not cricket.

Non-Test nations such as Ireland have played a major part in World Cups, not just by their talent and skill, but also by their commitment, passion and love of the game.

It is difficult to see how the best interests of the game can be served by not allowing countries such as Ireland a chance to compete at the highest level.  This ‘closed shop’ approach cannot be good for the game, and appears to fly in the face of the sacred values that cricket has espoused for so long - namely fair play, sportsmanship and camaraderie.

March 2nd was a day when World Cup records tumbled to the Irish team and to Kevin O’Brien.  Enormous praise and credit is due to the team for the exciting and courageous manner in which they chased down a massive England innings total.  The highest ever successful run chase at a World Cup, and the fastest ever World Cup Century ensured a most memorable day, not only for Irish Cricket, but for Irish sport in general.