Game of patience for Test debut

Ireland may have to wait beyond 2018 to make their Test debut, chief executive Warren Deutrom has warned.

Both Ireland and Afghanistan were awarded full membership to the International Cricket Council (ICC) last week at the annual conference in London.

The two newest nations were voted in unanimously to become the first newcomers since Bangladesh in 2000 and take the number of full ICC members to 12.

Ireland have been playing as affiliate members since 1993. Now they will be able to play Test cricket against the world’s best – but scheduling a first match may take some organising and Deutrom believes it may prove difficult to shoehorn in around the other nation’s full schedules.

Deutrom replied: “There are so many pieces of this jigsaw. It is probably somewhere between not wanting to wait years for our first Test match versus making sure we have the appropriate sense of occasion.

“Another consideration is are we ready to play our first Test match as we haven’t played a five-day game yet?

“History would suggest that new full members play their first Test, at home, against a big nation within a year.

“But I know how much busier the full members are with their own schedules so trying to find a gap within 12 months in an already congested schedule is incredibly difficult.

“We are going to do our best, we will have as many conversations as possible, but I can’t put any members on the spot.

“I don’t want to express disappointment if no one is available because I know how packed those schedules are.”

“Consideration is are we ready to play our first Test match”