"The worst thing that’s happened in Ireland cricket was they got Test status" - Simon Doull

Former New Zealand pacer Simon Doull has delivered a stunning take on Ireland cricket that is likely to ruffle a few feathers. The cricketer-turned-commentator reckons the Irish team were at their best when they played county cricket regularly.

The European nation gained Test status in 2018 and played its first match in the format that year against Pakistan. The Irishmen, led by William Porterfield, delivered a promising performance, going down by 5 wickets following Kevin O'Brien's century.

Speaking on Sky Sports, Doull stated:

"I’m probably going to lose a few fans, but the worst thing that’s happened in Ireland cricket was they got Test status. It’s going to sound silly because you want to test yourselves against the best. Playing Test cricket is still the ultimate for some players; it won’t be the ultimate in the future in 15-20 years."

The 54-year-old explained that Irish players' county cricket experience held them in good stead while playing for the national team. However, Doull reckons that that's not the case anymore.

"But Ireland cricket was at its best when their players were playing county cricket. And when they were at their best, they had most of their players playing a very high standard of cricket in the UK."

"Then they could transfer that to an Ireland team that could play with passion and there were plenty of players in and around that side that had a lot of experience and had been through situations where they knew how to win. That’s not what Ireland have got at the moment."

While Ireland have delivered some promising performances against top teams in tough conditions, they are yet to win a Test. They had an opportunity to win one against Afghanistan in March 2019, but went down by 7 wickets. Nevertheless, Doull's comments could spark some controversy.

1st ODI between England and Ireland abandoned without a ball bowled

Ireland cricket's support staff on the pitch. (Credits: Twitter)

Meanwhile, the much-anticipated first game of the three-match ODI series against England in Leeds could not take place due to heavy rain in the city. While the showers eventually stopped, there was no wind to help the pitch dry.

Ireland squad for the ODI series: Paul Stirling (capt), Mark Adair, Andrew Balbirnie, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Graham Hume, Josh Little, Andy McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Neil Rock, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Theo van Woerkom, Craig Young.