New Year is upon us, and with it comes new resolutions. This WILL be the year that I stick to my diet and exercise plan. Well, that was the intention, but the snow meant it lasted all of two days. There is always next year I guess.,,

During the Twixmas period I did my usual totting up process of the days played by the 12 Full Member countries.

There were hopes that with the increase in ICC funding that 2024 would see a good deal of cricket played by the Ireland senior men, and a decent Wolves programme.

That certainly didn’t materialise with the Wolves schedule limited to a few weeks in Nepal. As to the senior men, their tally of 21 matches/26 days was pitiful, among the fewest played in the last 20 years and a far cry from the 44 matches played in 2010 when the squad was predominantly amateur rather than the fully professional outfit nowadays.

Indeed, Ireland’s total puts them by some distance at the bottom of the table of the Full Members in terms of matches and days played in 2024.

The totals for the 12 Full Members are as follows:

  • England 89 days, 42 matches, 17 Tests, 8 ODI’s, 17 T20I’s
  • India 87, 44, 15, 3, 26.
  • Sri Lanka 83, 50, 10, 18, 22.
  • Bangladesh 77, 43, 10, 9, 24.
  • West Indies 73, 48, 9, 12, 27.
  • New Zealand 71, 36, 12, 3, 21.
  • South Africa 70, 42, 10. 9, 23.
  • Australia 68, 41, 9, 11, 21.
  • Pakistan 66, 43, 7, 9, 27.
  • Afghanistan 47, 38, 3, 14, 21.
  • Zimbabwe 42, 35, 2, 9, 24.
  • Ireland 26, 21, 2, 5, 14.

At least we were spared by descriptions of how ‘busy’ they were and hopefully they come out of their four-month hibernation period recharged and fully refreshed. They will have two warm-weather camps in Spain and Dubai to blow the cobwebs out before heading to Zimbabwe next month.

They are to still confirm their full schedule for 2025 but hopefully that will be forthcoming in the next weeks as England at Malahide, West Indies at Bready and nothing for Stormont is ratified.

Could there be a South Africa Test in England to help them with their World Test final preparations? Let us hope so. We certainly have a better chance than their other mooted opponents Afghanistan, who I feel could soon be alienated and exiled due to the Taliban’s treatment of women in the country.

Would boycotts work? The evidence is mixed. I’ve always found financial penalties much more effective. Halve their ICC income and give it to worthy causes that help women in the country. That would be a start.

EUROSLAM BACK ON THE TABLE
There was a press release last Saturday afternoon as the football results started coming in. The slot usually reserved to bury bad news when you don’t want something to get any coverage.

On the face of it, it seems good news. The Euroslam will finally be going ahead in 2025, but it’s now called The European T20 Premier League. Like its doomed predecessor it will feature teams from Ireland, Scotland and The Netherlands and will run from July 15th to August 3rd.

I guess the ‘soft launch’ was due to the many failed attempts of the Slam to get off the ground, but having spent the last year and more fine-tuning this tournament, they must be confident they have got it right.

It will be interesting to see who the backers are and hopefully they have deep pockets.

Fingers crossed it’s all systems go.