New Year, bigger challenges

For the lion’s share, the end of 2013 and start of the New Year was greeted with open arms, jubilant festivities and an overriding sense of optimism.

In all walks of life, the opening of a new calendar provides the opportunity to start fresh, wipe the slate clean and right the wrongs of the previous twelve months.

However, Phil Simmons and his side would be forgiven for wishing 2013 had been extended that bit further. After all, it was Ireland’s finest year - both on and off the field - bar none.

Their unparalleled success has since yielded acclaim and distinction but there are further underlying side-effects that extend beyond the extra media coverage or the need for Cricket Ireland’s trophy cabinet to be expanded.

Generally, January is the month that affords us with the opportunity to expunge the bad habits and extinguish the unpleasant memories of the year gone. Start as you mean to go on, and all that. Ireland will be hoping to do just that but with 2013 firmly at the forefront of their minds. Not because they’re conceited or complacent or because they want to prolong past achievements but because they need to build on their accomplishments further for the sterner tests that lie ahead.

2013 was a memorable year which saw Ireland truly outgrow their Associate status. However, such has been their dominance of the second-tier ranks in recent years that it was hardly surprising. Although there was the frantic tie against Pakistan and that indelible day in Malahide, their packed Associate itinerary meant opportunities to really gauge their progress were limited. They were rarely stretched.

With qualification safely achieved for both forthcoming World Cups - thanks to 2013’s endeavors - attention can now firmly shift to competing at the next level, on a consistent basis. The next twelve months will do just that - there are no fewer than sixteen matches pencilled in against high-quality opposition.

The fixture count could rise depending on progress in the Caribbean and Bangladesh. Ireland’s jam-packed 2014 itinerary is indicative of their burgeoning international recognition and status. But, Phil Simmons and his side must show they belong at the top table. Although there is no global silverware on offer - with the exception of March’s World T20 - this year is arguably just as important for Ireland in their pursuit of full member status.

There are no longer any meaningless fixtures in Ireland’s calendar. For years, rubbing shoulders with the game’s protagonists was an occasional treat for players and fans alike. Now, however, each fixture has a purpose and carries a measure of significance, no matter the opposition or circumstance.

Although 2013 provided Ireland with a demanding set of challenges - mainly endurance, diligence and a battle against their own complacency - the next few months will place the microscope firmly on their full member credentials.

They’ll start the year by arriving in the Caribbean - in preparation for the Nagico Super50 and limited-overs series against the West Indies - with the swagger of being Associate kingpins but this is a different ball game. The tag of perennial favourites which accompany them on the second-tier circuit is replaced by the dark horse ticket.

Nonetheless, success brings added pressure, expectation and scrutiny and Phil Simmons and his side know feeble performances will add further fuel to the argument that they aren’t strong enough to join the upper echelons of the game just yet. While the feat of an unrivalled treble cemented their superiority of the Associate standings, the failure to dispatch superiorly ranked opposition was a frustrating aspect of 2013. Glorious opportunities to turn over both Pakistan and England were spurned during the summer, something which still rankles with the management and players. However, they’ll have the opportunity to address that shortcoming in the next few months.

Here are a couple of things Ireland must do in 2014 in order to progress further and build on the achievements of yesteryear.

Ensure they do more than make up the numbers in the Caribbean

The Caribbean’s domestic one-day competition has undergone more structural modifications and name variations in recent years than is sustainably healthy. The tournament’s volatile nature has seen various foreign sides drafted in, with little success, to boost numbers while varying formats have been attempted on a yearly basis to augment interest.

The cynics will claim the invitation to participate in the revamped Nagico Super50 is nothing more than the WICB taking advantage of Ireland’s desperation for games against quality opposition. However, their role as the overseas guest benefits Phil Simmons’ side just as much as the host association. It would be naive to make comparisons between Ireland’s participation and the contribution or lack there of it, made by Bermuda, Canada and the USA to the floundering event during their respective involvement over the past few years.

It's been made clear that Ireland aren't going there to make up the numbers, but that's easier said than done. Three years ago, a similar tour to the West Indies saw the Boys in Green lose all but one of their limited-overs fixtures. That was then and this is now, however. Although limited-overs cricket in the Caribbean has arguably improved in standard in recent years with the success of the national team, Ireland have made huge strides in that short period.

It will be a clear measure of Ireland’s progression. While a successful campaign would be a further sign of their credentials, a chastening couple of weeks would render their participation counterproductive. It’s a fine line but it’s imperative Ireland come away from the tournament with some constructive positives to build on for the one-day series and World T20.

Find a long-term replacement for TJ

The true effects of Trent Johnston’s retirement are yet to be exposed but the loss of any talismanic presence - both on and off the field - is likely to have implications. For the first time since he made his debut in 2004, the bowling all-rounder won’t be around the dressing room in some capacity and it’s crucial that the intermediate period is made as seamless as possible.

The emergence of Max Sorensen has gone someway to blunting the loss of Johnston but he has relatively little experience at the top level and although Tim Murtagh continues to grow in stature in a green jersey, at 32 he may not have set his sights beyond the 2015 World Cup.

The fast-bowling resources are superficially threadbare. There are, however, several talented seamers sniffing around the senior squad. Despite the fanfare surrounding the prospects of the next generation, it remains to be seen if they possess the attributes and quality to cut it on the international stage.

Craig Young. Graeme McCarter and Peter Chase - who are all on the books of an English county - have spent the winter in Australia under the guidance of renowned fast-bowling coach Craig McDermott.

Of the trio, McCarter is the obvious candidate to fill TJ’s shoes having put in some impressive performances in one-day cricket for Gloucestershire. Regardless, one or all of the aforementioned names will be handed the opportunity to stake a claim for Bangladesh in the coming weeks and it’s vital that they step up to the mark and fulfil their reputable promise to ensure the loss of Johnston is alleviated.

All have been around the set-up for a few years now but must grasp their opportunity with both hands. No one is irreplaceable but the next generation have big shoes to fill.

Join the big boys in Bangladesh

The ICC’s move to expand the World Twenty20 from twelve to sixteen teams has escalated Ireland’s task considerably. Unlike previous years, victory at the qualification tournament hasn’t ensured Ireland a passage through to a meeting with the game’s big names but a place in the “Group Stage”.

The game’s governing body will claim the expansion gives more Associate nations the chance to compete at a global tournament, but in truth, they’ve been placed in another qualifying phase. Under the new format, Ireland must overcome Zimbabwe, Netherlands and the UAE just to progress to the Super 10 stage.

Although they avoided the hosts in the pre-tournament qualifying phase, the task is anything but straightforward. Despite their full member status, Zimbabwe are ranked below Ireland in the Twenty20 standings but will pose a tough obstacle as they look to prove their worth.

All four sides will be harbouring realistic hopes of advancing and with little margin for error, a defeat in any of the three matches is likely to prove fatal. Ireland’s recent record at ICC events has been superlative but falling at the first hurdle in Bangladesh would be a step backwards, regardless of the heightened competition.

Elimination before the tournament essentially starts would be a major setback and seen as a failure.

Defeat a full member nation at home

It’s become somewhat of a stumbling block in recent years but Ireland’s record against superiorly ranked sides on the Emerald Isle is less than desirable. Failure to convert promising positions into victories left a sour taste in the mouth during 2013 and although defeats to Pakistan and England did little to overshadow an otherwise perfect year, the wait for a major scalp on home soil goes on.

It accentuates the vast headway the team have made that they’ve found themselves in such positions - Pakistan were 60/5 in pursuit of 230 and England 48/4 chasing 274 - but also underlines the gulf in class between the game’s top sides and Ireland’s regular Associate opponents that they can dig themselves out of a hole thanks to strength in depth.

However, Ireland will have taken plenty of positives from those defeats and no doubt learnt from their mistakes. With Sri Lanka arriving in Dublin for a two-game series in early May, the hosts will once again fancy their chances of turning over a full member.

With the fixtures clashing with the culmination of the IPL, there are doubts over the involvement of some of Sri Lanka’s more prominent names, further increasing Ireland’s chances.

It’s clear that preparations are well underway for New Zealand/Australia in 2015 and a couple of positive results in the West Indies followed by victory in Dublin, would put Ireland in good stead ahead of their Winter training camp in the UAE.

As much as anything, to dispel the psychological obstacle which has evolved in recent times would be rendered as a prosperous outcome.