Ireland Cricket Team

Founded: 1993
Coach: Phil Simmons

Ireland Cricket Team Results

The Ireland cricket team is the cricket team representing all Ireland (i.e. both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland). Because of political difficulties, the Irish Cricket Union (ICU) was not elected to the International Cricket Council (ICC) until 1993, and qualified for the World Cup for the first time in 2007. The Irish Cricket Union is the governing body of Irish cricket. The Irish cricket team is an amateur one, with players forced to take time away from their full-time jobs to represent their country in cricket. Efforts have been made to professionalise the team although there are problems with funds.

The first match played by an Irish team was in 1855. Since then, Ireland have gained a reputation for giant-killing. Ireland played their first One Day International (ODI) in 2006 against England. Since then, they have gone on to play 33 ODIs, resulting in 10 victories, 19 defeats, 3 no results, and 1 tie. Ireland's greatest cricketing success to date was in the 2007 Cricket World Cup, where they achieved a tie against Zimbabwe and victories over Pakistan and Bangladesh, and ended the tournament ranked 10th overall in the official ICC rankings above Zimbabwe and Kenya.

Ireland take part in the ICC Trophy, the European Cricket Championship (which they have won three times and hold the title of European champions), and the ICC Intercontinental Cup, which they have won consecutively three times since 2005 and are the current holders. The team also competes in the Friends Provident Trophy against English counties. Ireland is an Associate member of the ICC; Associates are the next level of team below those that play Test cricket. Due to their recent successes in the Intercontinental Cup and at the World Cup, they have been labelled the "leading Associate".