Joyce close to completing journey no-one else will take
Peter Hayter talks to a proud Irishman whose cricketing dream may now be fulfilled next year
Ed Joyce nominates as his proudest moments in cricket playing his full part in one ODI victory for England – a brilliant century against Australia in Sydney in 2007 – and at least some part in one victory against them – a scratchy 30-odd in the 2011 World Cup in Bangalore.
But there may be one more to come. And one senses it would be the best. Eoin Morgan’s presence as England skipper means Joyce will not be the only Irishman in their historic Royal London ODI series against Ireland at Bristol and Lord’s to have represented both nations.
The fact ICC could grant Ireland Test status next year and the possibility that their cricketers may at last be able to realise their professional ambitions, and earn a crust, playing only for the country of their birth means they, and the absent Boyd Rankin, may be the last, however.
And as Joyce explained on the eve of the series, for the Irishman who played for two different countries in successive World Cups, that raises the very real prospect that he might finally fulfil his childhood dream of playing Test cricket, not for England as he hoped he might, but for Ireland, something he never dared to believe he could.
“When I came back to play for Ireland, I never thought about Test cricket, but this potential opportunity has come around a lot quicker than anyone could possibly have guessed so there is a chance, albeit a slim one.
“I’m 39 in September, I had a knee operation last November and I’ve got issues with my hip. I’ve dreamed of playing Test cricket since I was a kid growing up watching it on TV in Ireland. If we were to start playing Test cricket next year… maybe.You never say never.
“I loved my time playing for England,” he stresses. “I won’t shy away from it; 99 per cent of it represented some of the best cricketing days of my life.
“Saying that, I’m glad to be back playing for Ireland. It feels more natural. It’s great to be part of this journey.”
As for his own journey, which took in Middlesex and Sussex (for whom he is available later this season) along the way: “When I was starting out playing in England, it wasn’t a tough decision.
“Anyone who doesn’t know the story of cricket in Ireland will find that hard to believe but it wasn’t really a decision at all because there was no recognised cricket at home. Eoin and Boyd did the same thing. It was seen as the right thing to do. There was no backlash at all.
“In a way it is sad for us seeing Eoin captaining England and doing so well because he is certainly the best whiteball cricketer we’ve produced. Obviously no one has a problem with him playing for England. We’re all fine with it.
“But, and without wishing to pre-empt any decision the ICC will make, I’d like to think that we are the last players who feel they have to do that.”
Reviewing his career, Joyce says he would not have missed playing for England for the world, not the “99 per cent” of it that still makes him smile on a freezing Bristol afternoon and especially not that memorable February day at the SCG a decade ago.
His 107 out of England’s 292-7 earned the man of the match award and the victory that gave Andrew Flintoff’s team the momentum to go on to win the tri-series with Australia and New Zealand and end a harrowing winter with something other than a 5-0 Ashes hammering to show for it. “Scoring the hundred and winning that game was one of my proudest moments in cricket,” he says.
“I was dropped on about ten by Shaun Tait at third man off Nathan Bracken. I got in and had a good stand with Ian Bell and when Liam Plunkett bowled Adam Gilchrist first ball of their innings it just felt like it was going to be our day.
“Suddenly something came out of it, we went on to win the tournament and it felt like the team were going to the World Cup with a good chance.”
Except things didn’t quite go according to plan. “It was a difficult environment,” Joyce recalls.
“We had the pedalo incident, it just felt like Michael Vaughan and Duncan Fletcher were coming to the end of their time and the team was in a state of flux. At the end of it a lot of guys never played for England again.
“When I made that hundred in Sydney I did think that this was the moment I would kick on, but I wasted a few opportunities after that, got out to a couple of stupid shots.
“I don’t have any bad feelings. I wasn’t playing well enough at the end. It was fair enough.”
Then, with his ambition of playing Test cricket for England now seemingly over, ICC allowed Joyce special dispensation to return to playing for Ireland, just in time for him to enjoy that second ‘golden’ moment, in the World Cup tie with England four years later which produced their greatest ever individual innings and their greatest ever victory.
At 111-5 in response to England’s 327-8, Irish eyes were weeping. By the time Kevin O’Brien had made 113 from 63 balls with 13 fours and six sixes to help bring them home with five balls to spare, they were crying tears of joy.
“The first thing I remember is making 32 off 62 balls, being tied in knots by Graeme Swann and thinking, ‘how the hell did they get 320 on this pitch?’
“We were five down and I was sitting there in the dressing room feeling really dejected. We had a good team, but we’d been beaten by Bangladesh in a game we should have won and were about to be beaten heavily by England.
“I wandered out about 20 minutes later and Kev started smacking a few sixes and I thought, ‘that’s good, a bit of respectability.’
“Half an hour later we needed 70 off 80 balls with five wickets remaining and he was playing the best innings of its type I’ve ever seen against a top nation. Both teams were sitting in the same area so watching the reaction of their coach Andy Flower, Kevin Pietersen, off the field with injury, and Luke Wright fielding a sub right on front of us, there was a bit of black humour.
“They didn’t lose the plot, but you could see them sensing this could be embarrassing. “It was a great day.” There still may be more to come. Should ICC be as good their word and Ireland finally achieve their dream of playing Test cricket, surely no one will begrudge Joyce the fulfilment of his. But if not? “For myself, for selfish reasons, it would be great but, actually, I’m not too worried.
“I look back to how things were. There was no cricket played at my school. I actually hid the fact that I played the game from my mates.
“If things go our way you’d be even prouder to know you’ve been a part of bringing your sport to a level where young lads and girls in Ireland have the chance to go play professionally and to travel the world doing it.
“Only a few years ago that would have been unheard of.”