The ICC has a goal to see cricket grow strong in the developing countries over the coming years and Ireland’s progression in the ICC Trophy would seem to be an encouraging sign.

However there are a multitude of reasons why emerging nations struggle to get a foothold into competitive international cricket and one good tournament is not enough to see a nation propel itself into the next level.

Some of the obvious challenges are; funding, competition with other sports, bureaucracy, poor administration, (think USA) and dare I say it corruption. Many of these teams are also staffed with players at the end of their careers (think USA again) who qualify to play for their new country under lenient residency criteria. Whilst it may help give the emerging teams a credible talent pool, it does little for the long term development of the game.

But Ireland, who have been a steady developer, have an additional challenge posed by their geographic proximity to England…..Player Poaching!

Many English counties have been keeping a hawk eye on the Irish, and it looks as though at least one player, Ed Joyce, way well be a consideration for the England A side. The lure of Irish talent holds an additional attraction for English counties as Irish players do not count against their overseas quota.

Joyce himself, proclaims that the counties Player Poaching activities will ultimately be good for the game in Ireland but I fail to see how this can be.

If the only viable (and by that I mean financially viable) career path of a young Irish cricketer is to be an English county player then the domestic game will struggle to rise to a level of self sufficiency which will ensure a strong national presence.

Perhaps Joyce genuinely believes that Ireland having a close relationship with the English counties will indeed be good for the game. Then again, with a potential England call up, he would hardly say any different now would he?