Dubai: On February 16, 2015, I wrote about Ireland from Melbourne during the World Cup 2015. Gulf News carried the story with the headline ‘Giant Killers of World Cup.’ Cricket Ireland gathers all reports about their team’s performance and posts them on their website. Very likely they pass it on to their players as well to boost their spirits.

The next day I met their long-standing captain William Porterfield whom I have often interviewed in the UAE when they are here to play the Intercontinental Cup matches against the UAE, and for the World Cup qualifiers as well.

Porterfield seemed extremely happy because my report was published just after some former cricketers had questioned the presence of associate nations like Ireland in the World Cup, calling it a waste of time and belittling the standard of the competition. Ireland had silenced critics in the 2015 World Cup by beating West Indies by four wickets and 25 balls to spare.

That wasn’t the first time Ireland had shocked formidable teams. Having witnessed them beat Pakistan and Bangladesh in the 2007 World Cup in West Indies, and England in the 2011 edition, they surely deserved more respect. Ireland played their inaugural One Day International against England on June 13, 2006 in Belfast. Though a packed stadium watched the action and they put up an impressive show, they hardly got to play any matches after that to gain exposure.

They had beaten the touring West Indies sides in 1928, 1969 and 2004, but still other teams never toured the Emerald Isle and the country was never taken seriously. Some players from Ireland, owing to a lack of playing opportunities, went on to migrate to England and other countries. In fact, Eoin Morgan, the present England captain, is one such player.

Cricket Ireland never gave up hope despite losing some of their players. They announced their mission to become a Test-playing nation by 2020, and they achieved it on Thursday, June 22, 2017, three years earlier than what they had expected.

Speaking to Gulf News, Porterfield, who has hit the most runs and centuries for Ireland, once said: “Irish cricket has been doing well for many years. It all started when we reached the Super 8s of the 2007 ICC World Cup. Since then we have only grown.”

Ireland proved that they are brilliant in the longer format of the game, winning the ICC Intercontinental Cup in 2005, 2006-07, 2007-08, and the 2011-13 editions. In March 2012, when they beat Afghanistan at the Dubai International Stadium World Twenty20 qualifier, their players declared it as a special day and that many more were to come.

Soon after receiving the news about their Test status, Warren Deutrom, Chief Executive of Cricket Ireland, revealed that he will hold talks with the England and Wales Cricket Board over a possible Lord’s Test match in 2019.