Irish will be all at sea in Antilles, says Atherton

Cricket World Cup :The former England captain tells Richard Gilliswhy he argues Associate teams have no place at the World Cup.

There's a row going on in the blogosphere and Michael Atherton is in the thick of it. The former England cricket captain has stirred things up by saying Ireland should not be taking guard when the ICC Cricket World Cup starts on Tuesday.

There is a body of opinion, given a public face by the ex-England captain and Sky Sports pundit, that says Ireland's presence, with the other Associate nations, weakens the tournament, turns viewers off and undermines the development of the game over here.

Atherton first broached the issue in his newspaper column: "The ICC have got it wrong and it means we can expect a lot of rubbish cricket in the group sections. We saw the USA being hopelessly outclassed by reigning world champions Australia when they took part in the ICC Champions Trophy two years ago and we will see more of the same in the World Cup. It's a bad decision."

He was supported by his Sky colleague Michael Holding, who went further. Holding criticised the presence of Bermuda when he spoke at the Bermuda Cricket Board's World Cup banquet, a function intended to celebrate the country's inaugural participation in the event.

Cue a war of words as the bloggers of the cricketing world took umbrage.

"Atherton and Holding are selfish and ill-informed. Their views do nothing but hold cricket back," wrote one of the more polite bloggers.

In a career defined by a cussed determination to carry an underperforming side on his unreliable back, Atherton was England's best batsman of the 1990s. Since retiring in 2001 he has emerged as an excellent TV pundit. It's unsurprising then to find him in combative mood when The Irish Times challenged his views on this World Cup.

"Is Ireland's participation in the World Cup really going to grow the game here?" he asks from his home in the Caribbean. "Are they really going to benefit from being hammered in front of a global audience?"

He says international sport should be a showcase for the very best talent, and that excludes Ireland.

"There are too many dull, one-sided matches that take away from the event as a spectacle. Everyone can see what the ICC is trying to do, to spread the game to countries where cricket is not the national game. But the World Cup is the wrong place to do it. I agree that there needs to be some reward for success for the Associate nations, but that reward should not be a place at the World Cup."

At seven weeks, Atherton feels the World Cup is too long, and cites its soccer equivalent, which is done and dusted in just over half that time.

"At the last tournament (in South Africa in 2003) there were so many boring, one-sided games with so little tension it didn't feel like it was a premier sporting event."

Atherton's view reflects a feeling among some full-member countries, says Warren Deutrom, the chief executive of the Irish Cricket Union, who moved to this country following stints in both the ICC and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

"The USA game did nothing for Associate level cricket," says Deutrom, who senses Ireland need to answer critics at the World Cup. He cites Sri Lanka, an associate member until the mid-1980s, who won the World Cup in 1996 and Ireland's victory over West Indies two years ago.

"Everyone has to learn somewhere," he says. "If Italy were not allowed into the Six Nations, would they have beaten Scotland and run England close at Twickenham this year?"

Atherton's views do not reflect animosity to Ireland's cricketers. He would like to see them integrate further into the county game but sees the perennial problems entailed.

"It's difficult that they lose all their best players. I don't have a solution for that. You can't blame Ed Joyce for forging a professional career."

He has been impressed with the Bray man's attitude since his arrival in England.

"He seems a sound lad with a good head on his shoulders. He looks a stylish player, with a nice touch. He seized his opportunity by playing beautifully for his century against Australia. Before that he had no more than a 50-50 chance of selection for the World Cup squad. That says a lot for him."

Ireland's chances of emerging from their group may depend on the state of the Sabina Park pitch, which has been recently relaid. Atherton has mixed memories of Jamaican pitches, offering an unreliable guide to what Adrian Birrell's men can expect.

On his first tour to the West Indies, in 1994, he says, the wicket was exceptionally quick: "The groundsman used to spin roll it . . . Spikes wouldn't go in and it felt you were batting on an ice rink."

Four years later, England's Test in Jamaica was abandoned after two days because the then relaid pitch was deemed too dangerous to play: "It was like corrugated iron."

It's unlikely they will get it so wrong again, and word has it Ireland should expect the pitch to play slow and low. If it's even half decent, the wicket will reinforce the dominance of bat over ball, a slew of factors making the bowler's job harder.

Among other things, batmakers are making better bats, the grounds in the Caribbean are small, and there is no day/night cricket, which can have the effect of making the ball swing more than it does in daylight.

"The modern way is that one-day cricket is a batsman's game," says Atherton. "People like to see fours and sixes. I'm a bit more old-fashioned and prefer a better balance."

He is, however, well aware that the market, and the priorities of modern cricket administrators, will prevail. "It's easy to get seduced by the next new thing," says Atherton, "and if they think they can make more money, I'm sure they will."

It's a view that may help him get the bloggers back on his side.