With spring in the air the European associates prepare for a congested and competitive cricket season that will feature the World Cricket League Division 1 in the Netherlands in July.
Ireland's decision to forego an opportunity to retain their place within the English domestic set-up was deemed controversial by many especially given the repeated calls for England to play a paternalistic role in offering its neighbours exposure to competitive fixtures.
Some would argue it was a gamble not to participate while others would counter by pointing out that without their county contracted players Ireland could have suffered some heavy defeats and therefore lost confidence and gained little.
The Dutch have taken up the mantle and have drafted in two antipodean first class cricketers with Dutch passports to bolster their squad, with the option of them appearing in ODI's as well.
They obviously feel it is a development opportunity not to be missed and if it proves the making of young talent such as Bukhari, Seelar and Gruijters as capable, consistent cricketers then Ireland may rue their decision if the Orangemen can show they have closed the gap come the WCL.
By September we will have a much clearer idea of the associate pecking order and who is most likely to claim a test scalp at next year's World Cup.
Since 2007, when the WCL1 was last staged, much has changed with the professionalisation of many aspects of associate set-ups, including, crucially, the award of player contracts, and Afghanistan's emergence has challenged the traditional heavyweights, such as Ireland, Scotland and Kenya, to show that they still enjoy hegemony at this level.
But many have tipped the Afghans to usurp Ireland's dominance and become the team closest in calibre to their test cousins. Although Afghanistan lack infrastructure it should not be forgotten that with the core of the squad having played club cricket in Peshawer they have a decent grounding in tough, uncompromising cricket that is arguably better preparation than a handful of games on a county trial or a season in a domestic league.
The Afghans have talent and any non-test team that can boast a brace of seamers who can touch 90 mph along with a variety of spin options should not be taken lightly.
Talent and durability are two of their core strengths but what has really caught the eye is the positivity of their cricket. In times gone by some associates have taken the view that battling to a respectable but uncompetitive total against a test team is better than trying to win and falling to humbling, headline-grabbing defeat.
The Afghans fight all the way and back themselves to find momentum and retain whether it be with bat or ball. Ireland have led the way in building partnerships, applying pressure in the field and recovering after the loss of wickets, all areas of traditional weakness for non-test teams but the Afghans are on a very steep learning curve and have shown in recent victories that they can be patient and pragmatic when circumstances dictate.
While the rivalry between Ireland and Afghanistan is developing into a captivating contest. teams such as the Netherlands, Canada and Scotland have to find ways of bridging the gap. All have had a certain degree of domestic upheaval, which hasn't helped lay a secure foundation for success on the field, and are reliant on key players turning games.
If players of the calibre of Ten Doeschate, Bagai or Coetzer are unavailable or fail their lack of quality is exposed. Developing strength in depth is a strategic objective for all teams and the failure to do so is often indicative of weaknesses in the domestic set-up.
2010 is set to be a fascinating year, as the progress of the leading non-test teams will be assessed from their fixtures against each other and, tellingly, some outings against test nations.
By the winter their world cup squads will begin to take shape and we can weigh up the chances of an associate, or affiliate in the case of Afghanistan, repeating Ireland's heroics in 2007 or indeed Kenya's in 2003.
Tim Brooks
Copyright: Cover Point
