Many years ago when I was at school Foyle College used to play a fixture against The Dean of Derry eleven. This was a fixture when the school first eleven took on a select team usually made up from a number of decent senior cricketers usually Old Boys and a collection of keen but not very good cricketers. The game took place on a Wednesday afternoon and the opposition usually arrived in tremendously high spirits with lots of guffawing and laughter emanating from their changing room. Even our school masters were bursting into laughter after making some whispered comments to each other behind their hands. It soon became apparent to me what all the merriment was about watching the opposition in the field.

I tried to get into the spirit of the whole thing as a number of my fellow team mates seemed to find it amusing but it annoyed me as even the best players in our opponents team looked the worse for wear. Eventually the game itself was held up as the Dean himself who was wicket-keeping had to run behind the pavilion to relieve himself. Almost everyone found this highly amusing. I say almost everyone because I found it intensely irritating. In my book there is no such thing as a friendly. No matter what the circumstances of the match everyone should want to win it. When the game is over, what happened on the pitch stays there and everyone should go and have a drink and a laugh after.

Now don't get me wrong, I've been on a pre-season tour many a times and not always been in the best of shapes taking the field. Being slightly hung-over is one thing but taking the field after a few drinks is another. Taking the field after a few drinks shows a complete disregard for the match itself. In other words it doesn't matter.

Very soon that most celebrated club team of all time, Lashings Cricket Club will arrive to play a number of fixtures in Ireland. Now Lashings don't come cheap. Their side is often packed with a number of ex International Test cricketers who in their pomp were worth travelling some distance to see. Lashings club itself was originally formed by Kent business man David Folb when he gathered up a motley collection of butchers and bakers and candlestick makers to help fulfil a fixture after the Minstrel Wine Bar's cricket team suffered a cry-off. Lashings eventually reached the dizzy heights of the local village cricket league but they took a distinct change of direction after Richie Richardson the former West Indian Test captain joined them in 1995. Folb then had the idea of forming a side that were the cricket equivalent of the ‘Harlem Globetrotters'. The side is now a World Eleven who take great pride in beating all-comers. Indeed defeating Lashings is almost bad form, the equivalent of running out Geoff Huey, St Johnston's legendary one legged wicket-keeper!

It is hard to be critical of Lashings CC, a club that has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for charities. For a corporate event, such as the opening of a new ground, then if you can afford them then I can think of no finer cricket club to come and play. Your clients or your club will have an opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the games greats.

Therefore why do I feel so uncomfortable with Cricket Ireland announcing that the International team will play Lashings in a series of Twenty/20 warm up fixtures for the 20/20 World Cup qualifiers? Indeed why do I also feel so uncomfortable about the return of Trent Johnston and Jeremy Bray for these fixtures? Are they now available for Ireland on an ongoing basis or is it simply a cynical move to enjoy a little ‘jolly' and enjoy some banter with some of the greats? Are these games genuinely going to be competitive warm up matches against a cricket team whose motto is 'fun, first and foremost'?

When Ireland defeated Pakistan in the World Cup finals on 17th March 2007 I thought our International side had reached a turning point. In a meaningful fixture we decisively won against a team of contemporary world class stars. No longer would we have to fawn over a team of has-beens and be grateful for their presence. Channel 4's cricket analyst Simon Hughes described the trip to Dublin as ‘the ‘crème de la crème' where the city is a jewel and the national team a pushover so you had no qualms about making it a 72 hour party.'

I don't believe that Cricket Ireland has done itself any favours with this fixture. I think even they recognise this as they are non capped matches. It has nothing to do with the standard of opposition or the amount of people that can get to watch the game. The fixtures are meaningless. Ireland gains nothing from winning but it could reinforce all the old stereotypes if they lose. I doubt very much if the Lashings wicketkeeper will stop the match to urinate against Mr Savill's new pavilion but these games are like gay adoption, no-one wants to criticise it but it just doesn't feel right.