William Porterfield will captain Ireland in its inaugural Test proud of the years of campaigning that have led to Friday’s match against Pakistan here.
Ireland, which famously knocked Pakistan out of the 2007 World Cup, will become the 11th men’s Test nation when the coin is tossed at the Malahide ground.
For Porterfield and his team-mates it promises to be an especially memorable occasion, but he was quick to pay tribute to all those who had helped make Ireland’s Test debut a reality.
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“There has been a lot of banging the drum,” said Porterfield. “It’s going to be a pretty special occasion for the 11 that are lucky enough to take the park tomorrow.
“Every one that’s ever worn the jersey and done things behind the scenes and devoted their lives to it deserve a lot of credit for what’s going to happen tomorrow.”
The opening batsman added: “We’re obviously pretty excited. It’s been quite a while building up to this since it was announced.
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“I am sure there will be a lot of different emotions that will flow through everyone over the next 24 hours, but excitement is the main one.”
Although both Ireland and Afghanistan were granted Test status by the International Cricket Council last year, neither of the newcomers can expect to be involved in full-length Test series any time soon.
“It would be great if we could play quite a few Tests a year, but it is not financially viable as it stands,” the 33-year-old added.
Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed backed Ireland to take its experience from limited-overs matches and thrive in the Test format. “It is a privilege to be a part of this historic match and all of us are really looking forward to it,” the 30-year-old said.
“Ireland players feature prominently in the ICC ODI and T20I player rankings, and I am confident that in due course they will also make their mark in the Test rankings.”