Photo courtesy headlessness. CC licensed.
The country is somewhat “bowled over” by having beaten Pakistan in the Cricket World Cup. Cricket is a seriously minor sport in Ireland: Cork, close to where I live, has just three cricket grounds for a population of ~250,000 people. The Irish Cricket Union has just 1,200 members for the whole island. (Ireland has about 6 million people, north and south).
Contrast this to Pakistan, which has 166 million people. Pakistan didn’t win a single medal in the last Olympic Games and its soccer team has never featured in any World Cup tournament. I’m guessing that cricket is really the only game of significance in the country. According to Wikipedia, they were World Cup winners in 1992 and have a very impressive record in the Australasia Cup.
To a Pakistani, Ireland beating their national team must be a bit like San Marino beating Brazil in soccer. Our national soccer coach was nearly flayed alive (metaphorically) by soccer pundits for nearly drawing against San Marino a few months ago, so I can only imagine what the depth of feeling was in Pakistan when the result came through. That said, our soccer team manager is still alive.. The death of Bob Woolmer in some way underlies the personal emotional turmoil involved when a good team struggles at the top grade.
For Ireland, to have such a success in such an unexpected sport can only be a good thing. It’s quite likely we have a wealth of cricketing talent in the country, as one of our more popular games – hurling – demands very similar skills to cricket. Also, we are beginning to see an easing of the unwritten laws that divided many sports into “Protestant” and “Catholic” games. Such a de-politicisation of sport is very welcome.
Passive Impressions 
You do realise that in the England team there is a chap who not only was born in Ireland but has played for the national cricket team there – Ed Joyce.
Oh yes! He’s become a big topic of discussion over here. Ireland is so used to nicking players from the UK to play on Irish national teams it’s fair enough.
I heard this in the pub the other night and I couldn’t believe it. I still can’t.
Sometimes you just know the gods get bored and feel like sticking a hand in…
Listen, I’m sorry to have to be the one to tell you this but cricket isn’t really a sport. Congratulations to Ireland on the victory and all, but I don’t think any activity that encourages the wearing of sweater vests, lasts for four days, and takes tea breaks can really qualify as a sport. 🙂
Pakistan also play hockey and squash. And Kabaddi.
Kabbaddi looks like good crack! The players must have great lungs to continue to recite Kabbaddi while they make their attack.
Interesting stuff EdB. Thanks.
It seems to me like a sort of hold-your-breath tig! 🙂
They used to show it on Sunday mornings on C4. It was interesting the way different regional teams would adopt different tactics, according to their ethnic characteristics. Big Punjabi buggers would play differently to wiry Sri Lankans.
And in the big England/Ireland match in the super 8s it seems Mr Joyce was out for 1 after facing 5 balls from the Irish team. Do we have a ringer I wonder 😉 or more likely are the Irish lads up for it wanting to get one over the team from across the sea.
[…] Ireland allrounder, told me in Nairobi in February. So it was interesting to read this post from an Ireland blogger about his country beating Pakistan and what ramifications it might have. To a Pakistani, Ireland […]