Ireland beat Afghanistan to avoid England. I might be going mad, and I can't find it now (was on the BBC), but I'm pretty certain the other day I read that Ireland WOULD be in England's group having guaranteed qualification ahead of Afghanistan. I don't mind who England play in "hit and giggle" but I would suggest that they would rather Afghanistan than Ireland given that the later always play above their presumed capabilities when we meet (except in the recent Rugby Union match).
You can give anyone a game in Twenty20 and pretty much ODIs too. Looking at the qualifiers for T20, Italy, USA, Spain, etc, I'm hopeful that these teams can all find 11 players who can clobber a ball to the boundary so that we can one day see a form of cricket that is as competitive as football when it comes to the world cup (which England continue to win of course).
It smacks of dumbing down to be honest. I think an Irish Test side would give a game to the lower echelons of the Test playing world. I don't think Italy or Spain could say the same. T-20 is fun but it has to be a gateway to something more than T20 and it isn't going to be that. It is just going to be T20 for the sake of it. I like the game, but it isn't really cricket. You can't tell me being No 1 Test nation meant anywhere close to as much as the world T20.
I'm a test cricket fan too, confused by your last sentence. I see a competitive T20 world cup, and it is a bit like playing pool left-handed, as a way to get other countries playing the game. Read recently that cricket is growing in popularity in France especially in schools. On the other hand: T20 cricket getting bigger may threaten the future of test cricket but whatever happens, we'll still play it even if it is in front of one man and his dog.
I just meant that there is no clear route from T20>ODI>Test. The reason is that they are three different games. If the point is to open up the games to other countries, then it is being severely restrictive by only opening up only t20. Test matches are the pinnacle. Always will be to the players. It is great to create a buzz about cricket, but when that buzz has only T20 as an outlet, then opening the games is purely cosmetic.
I just meant that there is no clear route from T20>ODI>Test. The reason is that they are three different games.
