India series win boosts Ireland's status in international cricket: O'Donnell

Cricket Ireland president Bryan O'Donnell believes Ireland's historic T20I series victory over India has transformed the team's standing in world cricket, saying the breakthrough will make the side a more attractive opponent for leading nations and pave the way for bigger international opportunities.

Ireland stunned reigning T20 world champions India 2-0 in Belfast to register their first-ever bilateral series victory over India in any format. O'Donnell believes the landmark triumph will have an immediate impact on Irish cricket, both on and off the field.

"It is going to be fairly instantaneous because it is a huge lift for our players and on that basis, they will probably become available in other areas of the game," O'Donnell was quoted as saying by PTI.

"It has a huge impact because it elevates the players. It lifts the potential performance of Irish cricket hugely," he added.

According to O'Donnell, the biggest gain from defeating a powerhouse like India will be the shift in how Ireland are perceived internationally.

"I think we would be more acceptable as opposition than we may have been heretofore. It is a moving elevation.

"It is showing a return on the level of input that Cricket Ireland are willing to put into the game in this country with the help of the ICC. At present, a large investment is going on into the infrastructure surrounding Irish cricket," he said.

O'Donnell also expects Ireland's participation in the upcoming European T20 Premier League to accelerate the team's growth while providing players with valuable financial opportunities.

"Absolutely. Providing the opposition is of a certain level, it has to be beneficial. It is also opening potential for other income streams for the players at the higher end of the game," he said.

He believes Irish players stand to gain significantly from the presence of cricket greats Steve Waugh, Rahul Dravid and R Ashwin, who will be involved with the tournament.

"They will learn from observation. They will learn from meeting these legends and picking their brains and possibly pick up tips for the benefit of our players.

"They are very anxious to move with the game and bring Irish cricket up to speed. If that carries through to players across the system, then I think we're on the right path," he said.

Indian-born fast bowler Jai Moondra emerged as the star of Ireland's series win over Shreyas Iyer's side, and O'Donnell reiterated that Cricket Ireland remains open to players who qualify through residency or ancestry.

"We're open to all talent, provided they qualify either through living in Ireland or through grandparents or other family connections. We're an open book.

"We want to move forward in world cricket. If players can help us improve, then yes, we're certainly interested," he said.

O'Donnell also threw his weight behind new head coach Gary Wilson, who succeeded Heinrich Malan immediately after the India series.

"Gary has more than 260 caps for Ireland. We need to invest in our own people and trust them. It is all part of a long-term cycle in which Cricket Ireland is investing to strengthen the game.

"What we are trying to do is provide our players with the best possible coaching," he said.

RED BALL CRICKET: A CONCERN

Despite the white-ball success, O'Donnell admitted Ireland's lack of Test cricket continues to hold the team back.

Since becoming an ICC Full Member in 2018, Ireland have played just 13 Tests, winning only three, all against Afghanistan and Zimbabwe.

"I suppose part of the problem is finding opposition. There has been a scarcity of games in that format. We do need more practice in red-ball cricket," he said.

Ireland's latest Test ended in an innings-and-79-run defeat to New Zealand at Stormont after reducing the visitors to 86 for four before they recovered to post 490 for eight declared.

"The benchmark remains India, England and Australia, with New Zealand also among the strongest Test teams.

"Other countries are beginning to move away from five-day cricket because crowds are not always there. But it is something Cricket Ireland are actively pursuing, and hopefully we can secure one or two Tests for next year," he said.

Ireland remain the only ICC Full Member nation without a domestic first-class competition after shelving their inter-provincial tournament.

O'Donnell admitted the competition could return if required.

"While I believe an inter-provincial competition is important, we are currently assessing a different pathway for players who are outside the senior setup.

"We have given ourselves a three-year window to evaluate the structure. If it does not deliver the desired results, reviving the inter-provincial competition remains a realistic option," he said.