IRELAND'S leading home-based cricketer, Kevin O'Brien, is set for a lucrative sojourn in English county cricket this summer. The Railway Union all-rounder has been signed by Nottinghamshire to play in the Twenty20 Cup, the competition which has brought huge new crowds and TV audiences to the game.
Notts were impressed O'Brien's explosive batting and accurate seam bowling in the Friends Provident competition last season. He took 4-31 against the county at Clontarf, claiming two wickets in his first over as the county struggled to 6 for 2 and later dismissing England players Chris Read and Stuart Broad. In the return game at Trent Bridge he scored a brilliant unbeaten 93 off just 75 balls and also took 2-50.
"During our tour in October Phil Simmons got an email from Mick Newell of Notts, just enquiring about my availability for them for the coming season," O'Brien explained to Inside Edge last week from the Irish team's base in Gauteng. "Originally it was just going to be for the English T20 but after meeting with Mick and Phil over Christmas I will stay with them from 22 May till the middle of August."
"The first six games take place before the T20 World Cup so I will get valuable experience before the tournament. After the World Cup, I will finish the T20 with Notts, then continue to play for the second XI, in three-day games and one-day games, but will also be available for Ireland's games during the summer.
O'Brien spent two seasons as an MCC Young Cricketer at Lord's in 2004-05, and played once for Middlesex 2nd XI last season. His deal with Notts brings to 13 the number of Irish players on the books of English clubs. Ed Joyce has joined Sussex after a decade at Middlesex, where Eoin Morgan is now an established batting star. Kevin's brother Niall O'Brien has greatly impressed many observers with his batting and wicket-keeping at Northamptonshire and has been tipped to follow Joyce and Morgan into the England squad. Others at English clubs are Boyd Rankin (Warwickshire), William Porterfield (Gloucestershire), Paul Stirling (Middlesex) and Gary Wilson (Surrey), while several underage players have contracts, including Shane Getkate (Warwickshire), Ben Ackland (Northants), James Shannon (Worcestershire), and Stuart Poynter and Andrew Balbirnie (Middlesex).
O'Brien has been a key member of the Irish squad who are on the brink of qualifying for the 2011 50 over World Cup. "Things have been very good so far, we have played very well in all our games, but I still think we can pick up another 15 per cent in all disciplines. We are still waiting for the perfect game. Ireland have been particularly clinical in this competition, with every crisis being dealt with efficiently. "That is one thing Phil has spoke about most on this trip," says O'Brien, "when we have teams beaten, don't let them back into it, so when chasing or defending we have been very ruthless."
O'Brien's own form has been brilliant: he has yet to be dismissed in five games and made crucial contributions of 101 not out and 89 not out against Oman and Canada. "I have just picked up from where I left off last season to be honest. I am just taking more time than I used to when I first come to the wicket. Phil has told me numerous times that no matter what my score is compared to balls, if I stay there I will make it up as I get used to the pace of the wicket."
O'Brien is comfortable with the new approach to diet. The management have banned alcohol and fizzy drinks and players and support staff have to submit to a breathalyser each morning. "This is the biggest tournament we will play this season, bigger than the T20, so every sacrifice needs to be made. The players know that it is a massive tournament so we have just got on with it."
One man who was in top form at the last qualifier was Ed Joyce, and he is in equally good nick for his new county, Sussex. Last week he made 101 against Northants, his second century in pre-season for the county. Joyce was caught on the boundary off Monty Panesar, whose bowling he had taken a fancy to.
Cricket in Ireland received probably its greatest ever audience recently via the Future Cup in Belfast. The series, which was ruined by rain and poor attendance, drew enormous viewer figures in India. Now even more people have sampled its dubious delights thanks to the Oscar winning film Slumdog Millionaire. One scene shows people watching a match on TV, which happens to be the India v South Africa game at Stormont. It's a long way from Podge Hughes hitting sixes in The Irish RM.
Ireland has also emerged as surprise contenders to host future Pakistan 'home' series. Ijaz Butt, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, confirmed that Ireland, along with England, Scotland, Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates, could become the Pakistan team's foreign base while the domestic security risk remained high.
Warren Deutrom, the chief executive of Cricket Ireland, confirmed to the Cricinfo website that had held preliminary discussion with the PCB's chief operations officer, Salim Altaf, and was amenable to the idea of hosting Pakistan matches.
"Our aim is to heighten interest in cricket in Ireland," Deutrom said. "We are trying to build an argument that we are a sufficiently viable cricket nation to make the step up to the elite level. To be able to host Pakistan in limited overs and even Test matches could only help us in attracting more interest in the sport."