Rankin gets second bite at the Test cherry

Dublin – Ireland might be playing their maiden Test tomorrow against Pakistan at Malahide, but it could be the second Test for one of their players – fast bowler Boyd Rankin (right).

Rankin, now 33, became eligible to play for England and was called up for the Ashes tour of Australia in 2013/14. He got his chance in the final Test, at Sydney Cricket Ground, but bowled only 8.2 overs before leaving the attack because of cramps.

In the second Australian innings, Rankin bowled 12.3 overs and picked up the final wicket, time.

“Someone like Ed Joyce has obviously played a lot of cricket and was pretty unlucky not to play a Test for England. Someone like him stands out, because he’s 39 and probably won’t get many more opportunities to play Test cricket.”

Joyce, the top-order batsman, played limited-overs cricket for England but didn’t get in the first XI in Tests despite being selected for the 2006/07 Ashes as replacement for Marcus Trescothick.

Rankin, who called his England Test debut “a bit of a blur”, added that of Peter Siddle. England, however, lost the match by 281 runs and conceded the five-match series 5-0.

Rankin played limited-overs internationals for England too, but then returned to Ireland in 2016.

And now he had been given a second shot at Test cricket after being selected in the squad of 14 to be led by William Porterfield.

“It’s going to be a massive occasion for everyone,” Rankin was quoted as saying by Cricket Europe. “A lot of the lads have been waiting for this chance for a long “There will be nerves around but we want to do well. The main thing is to try to enjoy it as much as you can. Looking back to my Test debut with England, it went by pretty quickly.”

Though playing at home, Ireland are expected to find it tough against Pakistan, currently No 7 in the ICC Test team rankings.

One of the changes for any side starting out in Tests is the shift to five-day cricket. Ireland are in a good position on that front, with many of their players having played county cricket in England for many years. – ANA