Published: Mar 02, 2011, 10:56 AM (IST)
Edited: Jul 03, 2014, 10:53 AM (IST)
By CricketCountry Staff
A day before Ireland play England in Bangalore, England’s former captain and fast bowler Bob Willis, now of Sky Sports presenter, spoke to Andrew Leonard from Cricket Ireland TV.
Q: Can Ireland actually beat England tomorrow in Bangalore?
A: I don’t believe they can. I don’t think they have got the bowling strength to restrict England, now that (Kevin) Pietersen is getting into his role at the top of the order and (Andrew) Strauss is in the best form of his life, It looks a very strong English batting order. I think a full strength England should be able to account for Ireland. However, there is a question mark against (James) Anderson and there must be a question mark against (Paul) Collingwood as well. Collingwood may get away with bowling against Ireland, but I don’t think he’s going to get away with the bowling of South Africa, Australia and Sri Lanka.
Q: What about the conditions in Bangalore?
A: I’d expect the pitch to be very similar to the England versus India pitch – a batting paradise. And after Ireland’s disappointment in Bangladesh, it will need to bat a whole lot better than that and obviously look to (William) Porterfield and (Ed) Joyce to provide the base of their innings.
Q: Beyond the England-Ireland game, what can be done to spreading the game in Ireland?
A: In terms of popularizing the game in Ireland, 20/20 has to be the root. So I hope as well as including the Associate Members in the World 20/20 competition, the ICC will arrange for more 20/20 matches for associate countries. That’s the way to get the skeptics, the housewives and the young kids interested in cricket. I think the ICC is right that 20/20 is going to attract people to the game.
Q: Will Ireland ever get Test status?
A: It’s going to be a long list of stepping stones if they are ever going to get Test match cricket, but I don’t think that it should be a closed door to them at all.
Q: How do you see the future of the World Cup?
A: We’d like to see a 32-team World Cup. I think cricket suffers a little bit like the Rugby World Cup when the top teams are playing Russia, Canada and Portugal and beating those 100 points to 10. What you want to avoid is hopeless mismatches though. I do think you’ll get better cricket with that format (the proposed 10 team tournament in 2015). They (associate nations) should be given the opportunity to qualify for the World Cup proper in a preliminary competition. I think that there should be a genuine competition for the last couple of places in the World Cup and I personally don’t think it should be a closed shop of the Test playing nations. I think the associates should be given an opportunity to take on the 8th, 9th, 10th-ranked countries in a mini World Cup, if you like, to qualify for the event proper. The ICC has got to encourage the better associates. The Netherlands and Ireland look head and shoulders above the rest at the moment. They have got to be encouraged by regular visits from other teams. Looking at Ireland’s specific example next summer, there’s a One-Day International this summer in Ireland (The RSA Challenge match in Clontarf this August), why couldn’t there be 3 One-Day Internationals or at least a 50-over match and 20/20 international. I think England could go and play a 20/20 match and a One-Day International over the course of a couple of days in Ireland.
