India series win boosts Ireland’s standing in international cricket: O’Donnell
Cricket Ireland president Bryan O’Donnell believes Ireland’s historic T20I series win over India changed the team’s standing in world cricket and says the breakthrough will make the side a more attractive opponent for leading nations and pave the way for greater international opportunities.
Ireland stunned reigning World T20 champions India 2-0 in Belfast to record their first ever bilateral series win over India in any format. O’Donnell believes the landmark triumph will have an immediate impact on Irish cricket, on and off the pitch.
“It’s going to be pretty immediate because it’s a huge asset to our players and based on that they’re probably going to be available in other areas of the game,” O’Donnell said, according to PTI.
“It has a massive impact because it lifts the players. It massively lifts the potential performance of Irish cricket,” he added.
According to O’Donnell, the biggest gain from defeating a power like India will be a shift in how Ireland is perceived internationally.
“I think we’d be more acceptable as opposition than maybe we’ve been up until now. It’s a moving altitude.”
“It shows the 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. There is a lot of investment going on at the moment in 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.
“Definitely. Provided the opposition is at a certain level, it has to be beneficial. It also opens up the potential for additional sources of income for players at a higher level of the game,” he said.
He believes that the Irish players will benefit greatly from the presence of cricket greats Steve Waugh, Rahul Dravid and R Ashwin who will be participating in the tournament.
“They’re learning by watching. They’re learning from meeting these legends and picking their brains and maybe picking up tips to benefit our players.”
“They’re very keen to move the game and bring Irish cricket up to speed. If that translates into players across the system then I think we’re on the right track,” 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 on the basis of residency or origin.
“We are open to all talent provided they qualify either by living in Ireland or through grandparents or other family connections. We are an open book.
“We want to move forward in world cricket. If the players can help us improve, then yes, we are certainly interested,” he said.
O’Donnell also threw his weight behind new head coach Gary Wilson, who replaced Heinrich Malan immediately after the India series.
“Gary has over 260 caps for Ireland. We need to invest in our own people and trust them. It’s all part of a long-term cycle where Cricket Ireland invests in strengthening the game.”
“We try to give our players the best possible coaching,” he said.
RED-BALL CRICKET: THE WORRY
Despite the success with the white ball, O’Donnell admitted that Ireland’s lack of Test cricket continues to hold the team back.
Since becoming a full member of the ICC in 2018, Ireland have played just 13 Tests and won just three, all against Afghanistan and Zimbabwe.
“I suppose part of the problem is finding the opposition. There has been a lack of games in this format. We need more practice in red-ball cricket,” he said.
Ireland’s final Test ended in an innings and 79-run defeat to New Zealand at Stormont after reducing the visitors to 86 for four before recovering to 490 for eight declared.
“India, England and Australia remain the benchmarks, with New Zealand also among the strongest Test teams.
“Other countries are starting to move away from five-day cricket because the crowds aren’t always there. But it’s something that Cricket Ireland is actively pursuing and hopefully we can secure one or two Tests for next year,” he said.
Ireland remain the only country with full ICC membership without a domestic first-class competition after postponing their inter-provincial tournament.
O’Donnell admitted the competition could return if necessary.
“While I believe the interprovincial competition is important, we are currently looking at a different route for players outside the senior squad.
“We have given ourselves a three-year window to evaluate the structure. If it does not bring the desired results, the revival of the inter-regional competition remains a real option,” he said.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
03 Jul 2026 13:58 IST