Cricket Ireland president Bryan O’Donnell believes Ireland’s historic T20I series victory over India has transformed the team’s standing in world cricket, saying the breakthrough will make the side a more attractive opponent for leading nations and pave the way for bigger international opportunities.
Ireland stunned reigning T20 world champions India 2-0 in Belfast to register their first-ever bilateral series victory over India in any format. O’Donnell believes the landmark triumph will have an immediate impact on Irish cricket, both on and off the field.
“It is going to be fairly instantaneous because it is a huge lift for our players and on that basis, they will probably become available in other areas of the game,” O’Donnell was quoted as saying.
“It has a huge impact because it elevates the players. It lifts the potential performance of Irish cricket hugely,” he added.
According to O’Donnell, the biggest gain from defeating a powerhouse like India will be the shift in how Ireland are perceived internationally.
“I think we would be more acceptable as opposition than we may have been heretofore. It is a moving elevation.
“It is showing a return on the level of input that Cricket Ireland are willing to put into the game in this country with the help of the ICC. At present, a large investment is going on into the infrastructure surrounding Irish cricket,” he said.
