Ireland is another country

Much has been made recently of the startling number of South African–born players in the current England squad. Strauss, Prior, Trott, Pietersen, and now Kieswetter - all born in South Africa.

But not much has been said about the batsman who saved England’s blushes again this morning with a superlative display of inventive hitting, Eion Morgan (below).

Morgan is as Irish as the most Irish thing you can imagine. Father Jack, a pub/petrol station hybrid, traffic-less roads – none of these are more Irish than Eion Morgan.

So why no fuss? It’s not because of how good Morgan is or the way he plays. KP used to play like that too, and yet people never let him forget his origins.

It seems to be because Morgan is Irish, and that’s ridiculous. Ireland have a team, and a pretty good one at that. And they’d be even better if the likes of Morgan and Ed Joyce decided to play for them.

I couldn’t care less where players are born. Surely no one would argue that Andrew Strauss is any less English than Paul Collingwood, or that Andrew Symonds (born in Birmingham) is any less Australian than Merv Hughes.

But I do worry about international cricketers’ motives. You shouldn’t be able to choose which country you play for – surely your country chooses you.