DEFECTION. BETRAYAL. DESERTION. Call it what you want, cricketer Boyd Rankin has heard it all before. He's learned to take no notice of it and doesn't care much for outside opinion.

Rewinding two years, there's a charming photo of Trent Johnston and his young family in Dublin Airport. It's a matter of days before Christmas and Ireland had just returned from Dubai where they completed the final leg of a prodigious treble.

Never has the issue of youth development, across all sports, been so vehemently debated.

When the neighbours are around, the good silver usually gets an airing and certainly Malahide will have pulled out all the stops but the days of Ireland bestowing a hospitable welcome on their guests have passed.

Ireland's World Cup fate had barely been confirmed before the ICC's official Twitter account had congratulated Phil Simmons' side 'for a wonderful campaign' as well as thanking them for the 'memories, passion and excitement' they had brought to the tournament.

So, when RSA decided against extending their seven-year partnership with Cricket Ireland, it was, although played down at the time, a body blow - the insurance firm had invested a seven figure sum into Irish cricket.

Above all, it says a great deal about how far Irish cricket has come that a squad announcement, for a preparatory series against two of our Associate counterparts, has engendered such discourse.

Of the 25,000 children playing cricket across the island of Ireland this year, how many will still be involved in the sport in five, ten, fifteen years time? The answer - very few. The dropout rate, across all sports, currently exceeds the rate at which people are taking up sport.

What has happened to the much-trumpeted and widely-acclaimed next generation? Where have the heir apparents disappeared to?

Do you ever find yourself, when on foreign soil, trying to envisage what it would be like to live in that particular city or country?

Ryan on his first week in London where he is spending the summer covering county cricket for Cricinfo.

A look at the youth policies already starting to pay dividends.

Cricket Ireland have begun the process of searching for a new title sponsor in time for next year's World Cup.

Accepting new clubs willy nilly represents growth but won't improve standard in Leinster or Irish cricket.

It's only natural to search for answers, assign the blame and probe for shortcomings when disappointment is still the overwhelming emotion.

For Ireland, the perennial giant killing tag of bygone tournaments is in storage for the time being.

Barren eight years comes to an end when Ireland Women head to Bangladesh for T20 World Cup.

Globally, more than 350 million people of all ages suffer from a mental illness. That's about 5% of the world's population. One in five people suffer from depression during their life. The figures are harrowing.

The 29-year-old has quickly become Ireland's first global trailblazer. He's been a Gladiator and a Saber, an Outlaw and a Lion, a Rangpur Rider and more recently, a member of the Red Steel.

The challenges that face Ireland in 2014 include defeating Full Members and finding a replacement for Trent Johnston.

Three global titles in 2013 but still not good enough for the RTE and Irish Sports Council awards committee.

Ireland and Surrey's Gary Wilson has become accustomed to being in esteemed company.

Success in Twenty20 originates from a regular and reliable method of which all players are accustomed and confident in.