ICC Intercontinental Cup and Shield

Foreword by Haroon Lorgat Chief Executive International Cricket Council In its relatively short history, the ICC Intercontinental Cup has quickly become an important and integral part of the international cricket calendar for the best Associate and Affiliate teams. Having originally been designed as a three-day format with twelve teams in four groups, the event evolved into an eight-team, round-robin and truly global tournament featuring four-day cricket and giving those teams who do not play Test cricket the chance to enjoy the longer form of the game. I believe that multi-day cricket develops players with better skills and experience which they simply cannot acquire in the shorter formats. And once those skills have been developed and lessons have been learned it is much easier for a player who has excelled in multi-day cricket to apply himself effectively in ODIs or T20Is rather than the other way round where a successful limited-overs cricketer tries to excel in the longer version of the game. Bowlers must learn to be disciplined in their lines as they devise and execute wicket-taking plans while batsmen must develop the patience, shot selection and techniques necessary to occupy the crease for long periods. The physical and mental rigours for all players are acknowledged to be more demanding in multi-day international cricket. The ICC Intercontinental Cup has helped to make the top Associate and Affiliate teams more competitive in limited-overs cricket against the Full Members and it has also improved the overall level of performance. As an event in itself, the ICC Intercontinental Cup has provided some wonderful matches and performances over the years. Scotland set the early pace clinching the first title back in 2004 followed by Ireland’s domination of the next three before Afghanistan eventually knocked them off their perch in the latest edition. In the meantime, we have seen some important – and at times thrilling – contributions from the likes of Canada, Kenya, Namibia, Netherlands, Bermuda, United Arab Emirates and others. I think it is fitting that the Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians (ACS) has decided to capture the details of all the matches, players and officials from the ICC Intercontinental Cup in one book. It is sure to be an important reference for all those who are interested in international first-class cricket, especially as it exists beyond the Test world. As an independent and authoritative voice, the ACS does a great job on cricket’s statistics and history for what is a game steeped in both. The ICC Intercontinental Cup is living proof of the ICC’s commitment to growing the game beyond the current Full Members. The significant investment made in this competition and its various teams has borne fruit with the event continuing to go from strength to strength and each year providing even more impressive performances than the last. I am indeed thrilled by its growth and I look forward to many more years of enjoyment for everyone involved in the competition. Dubai May 2011 v