DUBLIN, Ireland, CMC – Phil Simmons said Ireland will be ready to play Tests in five years.
The former West Indies all-rounder was speaking after signing a new two-year deal with Cricket Ireland.
“I can see this team being ready for Test cricket in five years – sooner if the ICC adopt a two-division Test league,” said the T&T-born Simmons.
“We keep improving and we have shown that we learn quickly, so the more we play against teams higher than us, the more we learn.”
The 48-year-old Simmons, who played 26 Tests and 143 One-day Internationals for West Indies from 1988 to 1999, will guide Ireland until the end of the next World Cup qualifying phase, under the terms of the new deal.
“I was happy to sign the deal because I feel we have some unfinished business,” he said.
“Although we’ve achieved quite a bit in my tenure, there is still so much more to come from this team.”
Simmons said it was an exciting time for the game in Ireland and the plans that have been put in place is likely to soon bear fruit.
“The expanded contract system (23 players will be paid by Cricket Ireland this year) will give the players some security and let the guys who aren’t in the first team at the moment know they are very much in our plans,” he said.
“Everyone has seen the improvement in our centrally-contracted players, playing a pivotal role in our success.”
Simmons said wins over sides like Bangladesh, England and Zimbabwe in the shorter forms of the game under his tenure were testimony to the potential in the side.
He said the goal now was to climb up the World rankings in the coming years and secure more games against top opposition.
“(They) gave us an incredible amount of exposure, but more importantly (they) gave the players belief that they could compete with anyone, on any stage at any time,” he said.
“What’s been pleasing for me in that time has been the emergence of youngsters like Paul Stirling and George Dockrell, who have proved themselves at the highest level.
“Also seeing John Mooney work so hard to make himself a permanent fixture in the team.”
Ireland face a busy schedule in the next two months, with games in Kenya, South Africa and the ICC World Twenty20 qualifiers in the United Arab Emirates.
