The fielding of an overseas player in Ireland’s Friends Provident Campaign has been a contentious issue in recent seasons. Supporters will look back fondly on the contributions made by the likes of Steve Waugh and Hanse Cronje both on the field itself and also as a catalyst for the development of Irish cricket. However, the last few incumbents hardly enamoured themselves to Irish fans showing an apparent lack of commitment and dedication. In theory a player of the calibre of Afridi, Saqlain or Ryder could have propelled Ireland from plucky also-rans to genuine trophy contenders and in the process generated interest and enthusiasm in the Irish game. However, in practice they had a limited impact, denied a promising youngster a place in the team and took home with them an ICU pay packet that arguably would have been better invested developing home grown talent.  

 Phil Simmons will hope that his new signing Ravi Rampaul will have a positive impact on the team. His appointment is bound to raise a few eyebrows among the cynics. Afterall, he is hardly a household name and has recently been dropped by what is a weak West Indian team. However, as Simmons has admitted his choice was severely restricted by the participation of the world’s leading players in the Indian Premier League. It was, in truth, a search for the best of the rest.  On a more positive note Rampaul does possess some cricketing pedigree and not so long ago was being hailed as a real prospect. He will offer an added ingredient to the Irish attack, that most precious of commodities, pace. In the absence of Boyd Rankin Ireland have lacked a penetrative opening bowler and with the recent retirement of Dave Langford-Smith the bowling has looked decidedly un-menacing. Rampaul has shown in his thirty ODI’s for the West Indies an aggressive intent and an ability to attack the stumps and swing the ball late. On his day, such as his career best four wicket haul against England at Edgbaston, he has proved a handful. He will not be a unknown quantity to Irish supporters, after all he played in the Quadrangular tournament, with modest success, last year.  

Rampaul will take his place in the team at the expense of Andre Botha who will be unavailable for the remainder of the Friends Provident Trophy campaign because of injury. Ireland will miss the guile and economy of his medium pace, which proved such a revelation at the World Cup. Botha is also a key partnership maker for Ireland with an ability to bat with aggression or circumspection depending on the match situation. He has also proved pivotal in his ability to forge partnerships in the middle order. His versatility will be hard to replace.   Simmons will hope that the decision to recruit Rampaul will prove inspired rather than insipid. A bundle of wickets, particularly in the top order, will be what Irish supporters will cherish most. Psychologically it will be important that Ireland possess a ‘weapon’ in their ranks, someone who plants an element of fear into the batsman’s mind. If Rampaul can provide this it will give an enormous lift to the likes of McCallan and Cusack whose craft and cunning in the middle overs will be so much more effective with the top order back in the pavilion. If this proves to be the recipe for headline-grabbing wins against the counties, Rampaul will have earned his stripes and Simmons nous will be widely acclaimed. However, if he shirks from his responsibilities as a strike bowler, if his shoulders drop at the first sign of adversity then the same old questions will be raised again. Let’s hope that the luck of the Irish prevails. Bring on Northamptonshire. 

Tim Brooks is international editor of Cover Point Magazine that focuses on Irish cricket and other associate nations. For more information or to subscribe visit www.cover-point.com