Poynter faces “tough decision” over county future

JAMES COYNE: Ireland players would become overseas players at the end of the 2019 season

Durham and Ireland wicketkeeper Stuart Poynter says he will wait before making a final decision on whether to play county or international cricket after this season.

All Ireland-contracted county players face the likelihood of having to give up their county careers or face becoming overseas players from September 2019. This follows Cricket Ireland’s promotion to ICC Full Membership, theoretically putting them on the same playing field as England in all international competitions. Until now, all Irish players – and, for that matter, all players with passports from any European Union member country – have been able to play as homegrown players in county cricket.

Poynter told The Cricketer: “After this season it’s looking like I will have a really big decision to make – whether to go and play in Ireland domestically or play in England as an overseas player. I wouldn’t be able to play for Ireland if I do. I will wait a little to make that decision.”

Poynter, 28, a west Londoner of Irish parents, faces the same dilemma as two Middlesex players, Tim Murtagh, 37, and Paul Stirling, also 28. Stirling is from Northern Ireland, but regardless of the Brexit situation, the rule applies to him as well, because he is playing for Ireland.

Poynter says: “It is a bit of a crazy situation. We’ve been saying here in the Ireland camp that if you’re born in England to Irish parents that you’re not allowed to play in English cricket… that seems a bit strange. Myself and Murts are both Londoners. I have dual passports. It’s going to be a tough decision for all of us.”

The positive for Ireland is that their inter-provincial first-class system, which began in 2013, is already boosted by a number of hardened national-team players who have years of experience on the county circuit.

Gary Wilson pre-empted the move last autumn by leaving Derbyshire by mutual consent with a year left on his deal to take up a domestic contract in Irish inter-provincial cricket. Barry McCarthy of Durham and the Warwickshire pair of Boyd Rankin and Mark Adair were also released to take up Irish contracts.

Ireland have always selected from a small player pool, and need to be producing cricketers on their own turf if they are to keep pace with rival countries in all three formats. In the T20 international rankings they are a lowly 17th – behind Nepal, the UAE and Hong Kong – and face the possibility of not qualifying for the 2020 T20 World Cup in Australia.

Ireland’s domestic season begins in late April with the Interprovincial 50-over tournament, starting at the La Manga Club in Spain, where Cricket Ireland and Cricket Scotland have priority access. The season then returns to Ireland for the first-class and T20 competitions. The three first-class teams are Northern Knights (based in Belfast), North-West Warriors (elsewhere in Northern Ireland) and Leinster Lightning (Dublin). In the white-ball competitions they are joined by Munster Reds.

Before that, Poynter faces an exciting summer with Ireland and Durham. Ireland have just returned from Asia, where they had tough limited-overs series in Oman and then India, where they lost their second Test, to Afghanistan at Dehradun. The highlight of his winter was hitting a last-ball six to win a T20I against the Netherlands in Oman.

Poynter has his chance because Niall O’Brien, perhaps the key figure in the Irish engine-room for 16 years, decided to retire aged 36. Wilson, the long-term back-up keeper, has been diagnosed with a condition affecting his vision, so is on the sidelines.

“It’s a great opportunity for me,” says Poynter. “Those two boys [O’Brien and Wilson] have achieved a great deal for Irish cricket over so many years. I’ve come in and out until recently, so it’s be a good chance to play some consistent cricket.

“I haven’t spoken to Wilse about his intentions regarding the gloves. I guess we will see what happens. Hopefully his operation goes well and the team management will have a decision to make.”

This summer Ireland play their maiden Test on English soil, at Lord’s against England in July. It will be a far cry from the days when Poynter used to collect balls in the indoor school in his days as an MCC Young Cricketer.

“It would be amazing to play in that Lord’s Test,” he says. “I think back to all those days during Test matches and ODIs, when we would be roped in to help bring the covers on and off! Being out there in the middle will be a nice change.

"I will have a really big decision to make – whether to go and play in Ireland domestically or play in England as an overseas player"

“On the YCs we used to get one game a season on the main ground at Lord’s, against MCC. There would be a big dinner the night before, so everyone would be a bit hungover, and the match probably wasn’t taken as seriously as it should have been! We tended to play away at other counties against their 2nd XIs, which was great for a young player, when you just want to play cricket and make your name.”

Poynter, who came through at Sunbury CC in west London after his older brother Andrew, was in the Irish system from an early age. It was when Middlesex Academy sent him across to the YCs that he got his opening, spotted in 2013 by the then-Durham coach Jon Lewis, who was on the lookout for wicketkeeping back-up to Phil Mustard and Michael Richardson. He served a lengthy apprenticeship in the seconds before Durham made the decision to move on from the long-serving Mustard, who had been the keeper in three Championship-winning sides.

“With Ireland I’m in a similar situation to the one I had at Durham. The Colonel did a great job for so long, but it’s been good for me since I got the gloves. I’ve getting better with the gloves every year, my game is always moving on. I haven’t missed a T20 Blast game in two years. And I’ve had a bit more of a go higher up and made a few scores. I need to take more of those opportunities now.”

Things seem to be gradually picking up at Durham, after a couple of dispiriting seasons in the wake of their enforced relegation, points penalties and financial restrictions. In last year’s Blast campaign, a largely inexperienced side did the double over defending champions Nottinghamshire, won at Edgbaston, and then produced an incredible comeback to win at Old Trafford by four runs. Sussex dumped them out in the quarter-finals, but Poynter snapped up 16 dismissals overall. Before the T20 he pitched in with some big Championship innings at last: 170 against a good Derbyshire attack; and 84 at Arundel.

“I think in 2017 we got docked all those points and we felt a bit sore about it. But we have a very different squad to the one that went through that relegation. Hopefully we are showing that Durham are fighting to get back where we belong – to finals days, into knockout stages and into the first division.”

It has been a winter of organised upheaval at the Riverside, but Poynter hopes that the young squad can tap into the international expertise provided by their new head coach, director of cricket and overseas player.

“Yes, there will be change. But it will be experience coming in. James Franklin hasn’t done much coaching before, but he’s played all over the world, and will have a lot of input on T20 especially. Marcus North played for Australia and has his own expertise.

“Tom Latham [overseas player] was inspirational with us last year, especially good at guiding the young players. We’ll miss him this year, but Cameron Bancroft is coming in. He’ll have made that move with one eye on the Ashes, I’m sure. He’ll be looking to start the season off really well, and make bucketfuls of runs. He’ll just want to play cricket after a very tough year that he’s gone through.”

As for home life, Poynter is settled in the north-east. “I’ve got myself a little house and a lovely family. The people up here are so nice and there’s not so much traffic as London. So I don’t think I’ll be moving back south anytime soon!”