I’ve come close to death on at least two occasions. Once, nearly drowning on holiday, the other in a car crash. I was driving to work on a late February morning when I came across black ice, sailed out into oncoming traffic being narrowly missed by a large cement lorry, and avoiding a drop into a river by a few feet. If it had been my end, my last words were not something profound – they rhymed with Duck and Duuucckkkk!

Now, here’s a question. Did I - a) Continue to drive positively or b) take account of the difficult road conditions and adjust my speed accordingly?

I’ve watched quite a bit of Ireland recently, both in the flesh and on tv at the T20 World Cup. All the optimism going into the tournament quickly evaporated, some of which through no fault of their own, but surely some blame has to go to a batting unit which took little or no account of what were bowling pitches and conditions.

I can understand the rationale of continuing to bat aggressively on ‘roads’ where 120 isn’t going to win games, but in the USA and West Indies, 120 did win games with a number of low scoring thrillers.

Some of the blame surely has to go to the Head Coach, Heinrich Malan as well as the batters. I don’t know Heinrich at all, so it’s perhaps unkind to describe him as lacking warmth. It’s not a good look to refuse to talk to the media (not me). I’ve no idea of his personality – he could be anything from Josef Stalin to Sister Theresa of Calcutta. I suspect the reality is somewhere inbetween. The powers that be obviously rate him because he was handed a two-year deal on the eve of the tournament. I would have waited.

He has presided over a disastrous 50-over World Cup qualifying campaign and this T20 World Cup won’t live long in the memory.

***

Getting trolled by Scotland was surely the nadir of the last month. As the Florida weather ensured USA’s progress and Ireland’s exit, they tweeted their hosting of Australia for three T20I’s in September.

These games should of course have been Ireland’s, but they declined them. 

I admired Warren Deutrom when he took a chance and hosted India and South Africa back in 2007. He got shafted by the weather and India changing terms and conditions at the very last minute. The financial fall-out from that led to a players' strike, but that’s a story for another day.

The decision to not host Australia was one of the worst taken by the beleaguered Cricket Ireland hierarchy in recent times. 

They keep saying how ‘busy’ a period it is, but for the next three months, at the height of the Irish season, there’s a Test against Zimbabwe for Ireland, and that’s it for the men. Busy?

***
There was no shortage of support staff in the USA at the World Cup. Did we really need 14 as well as the officials who made their way there? Surely the money saved from that could have gone towards hosting Australia? I was at the Academy games in the NW recently when a member of CI middle-management left a game on an errand. Not in a Tesla, but in a 24-reg Toyota hybrid. Now it could be paid from their own pocket, but it could be a part of a very expensive lease deal with a Toyota dealership in Dublin. 66,000 euros was the last figure I saw.

I was mulling over this when I saw that actually Sport Ireland paid for a good chunk of the extra support staff – ICC pay for 15 players and 10 support staff. They also pay for a security officer and a logistics/baggage person.

Cricket Ireland applied for ‘impact funding’ and received €200k of the €323,000 from Sport Ireland. They had sought €60,675 for the extra support staff and explained the rationale for wanting them in the USA.

“We need funding to ensure we can take these additional staff who will make a huge difference to the squad with their specialist expertise. 

“The performance psychologist will make a key impact at the world cup ensuring players go through their methods of coping with pressure, media, expectation and the intensity of the world cup.

“The Doctor is now mandatory for world cups but not an area we have usually had to fund. Obviously, this will aid our medical resources and help keep players and staff healthy.

“The spin coach will add a key speciality for our key bowlers at the WC.

“The HP Director will undertake a review of the WC, and should be in camp for the entire event to ensure all plans are being delivered.”

What will a review say? I guess similar to other reviews of the past. The facilities in Ireland are substandard. Adi Birrell’s report was damning in the fact that they have barely improved in 17 years.

The Wolves need to have a dedicated fixtures programme. Ideally somewhere in the range of 20 home games and 10-15 away each year. The neglect of the next ‘cabs off the ranks’ mean that the senior players are under little to no pressure to perform. How can we tell if anyone has the quality needed to make the step up. It’s why, more or less, we have used mostly the same 12 players over the past year. It’s one thing having a settled squad, it’s another not having anyone to come in when players are horribly out of form.

Interestingly, Catherine Martin, Ireland's Minister for Sport was at the World Cup. Hopefully, networking will have had a positive impact and finally there will be news on the stadium project. I read this week that Stormont’s development plans moved a step closer. It could well be that it jumps ahead of Abbotstown. We could do with some good news.

***
I liked a tv series called “The Time Tunnel” as a kid. I used to race from the school bus to catch it when it was shown on RTE.

For Christmas about 20 years ago, I was asked what I wanted as a present. I made a list of various DVD’s I would like. Amongst them Hill Street Blues, Rumpole of the Bailey, Alias Smith and Jones, The Rockford Files and The Time Tunnel.

While the others had stood the test of time, The Time Tunnel hadn’t travelled well…It wasn’t awful, but it was nowhere near where I thought it had been.

It was a mistake to go back.

That’s how I felt when I went to The Netherlands to watch the tri-series with the hosts, Ireland and Scotland. While the cricket was exciting – five of the six matches got played, with Ireland winning last over thrillers in their three games to win the tournament.

It perhaps wasn’t evident to many there – except Bertus De Jong – but the rankings points gained in Holland would secure 12th position in the ICC table and with it an automatic place at the 2026 T20 World Cup. Well worth the €74,214 asked for by CI from Sport Ireland.

With the breathing space this automatic qualification affords, perhaps now a rebuild of the T20 team can start. It doesn’t need knocking down completely, but an injection of fresh talent is clearly required.

The one ‘big reset’ I’d like to see though is off the field. The attitude of Cricket Ireland towards the media needs to be looked at. It doesn’t help the siege mentality and insular nature that had developed around the squad and management. 

Warren Deutrom warnings to staff isn’t a good look. Have they learned nothing from their mistakes of the past? Fear has no place in an organisation. 

Use the events of the past month to improve and grow on and off the field. Get out into the clubs and really engage. Start truly creating a cricketing island rather than having it as an empty catchphrase.

And most importantly, not being assholes would be a good start.