Thaindian News

London, April 12 (IANS) With their 2015 World Cup hopes shattered, fast improving Ireland can now look forward to play 15 One-day Internationals against the full-member nations in the next five years.

Ireland and other associate members were denied a chance to play in the next World Cup in Australia and New Zealand as the International Cricket Council (ICC) decided to conduct the tournament with 10 full-member nations.

But Cricket Ireland chairman David Williams recently met Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Shashank Manohar and said he has received good support from the full members on playing them on a regular basis.

“One of our ambitions is to increase our ODI exposure against full members to between 10 to 15 per annum, and we received some support from full members to accommodate us,” Williams said.

Ireland earned the reputation of giant-killers in the 2011 World Cup where they shocked England in the league stages and got praise from the top teams for their impressive performance in the tournament.

William travelled to India with the agenda of securing a qualifying tournament for the next World Cup, ensuring a promotion and relegation system in ODI leagues, and for collecting support for more ODIs for Ireland.

“I didn’t get the first, but the second was delivered and I am hopeful that the last will happen,” he said.

“Mr.Manohar was charming, as expected, but he said he felt the full members did not have time to adjust to a qualifying tournament for the 2015 World Cup and it would disrupt the Future Tours Programme. But I don’t think they are arguments which could not be overcome.”

“There will be qualifying for the 2019 tournament but that is six years away, but the promotion and relegation between ODI leagues is a very significant step for us as well,” he said.

Ireland’s next international assignment is at home where they play two ODIs against World Cup semi-finalists Pakistan.