Ireland hope to be a Test-playing nation by 2020 after unveiling a series of wide-ranging measures aimed at overhauling the country's cricketing infrastructure.

A delegation led by Cricket Ireland chief executive Warren Deutrom on Tuesday announced the new initiatives, which include a new raft of central contracts for 23 players, the implementation of a first-class domestic structure for the first time and a host of grassroots plans underpinned by improved commercial deals.

Ireland currently have associate status within the International Cricket Council, allowing them to play in one-day internationals and Twenty20 competitions, but harbour serious hopes of becoming the first team since Bangladesh in 2000 to join the full-member board.

To be successful, Ireland's plans for a first-class competition must be proved viable and they must then win support within the existing 10 Test nations.

That may prove a significant challenge in itself, but Ireland have already scored one major victory in the last year after successfully lobbying against an ICC decision to bar associate and affiliate nations from future World Cups.

"We have to believe this is possible," Deutrom told Press Association Sport. "The ICC has a set of criteria for full-member and Test status so that opportunity is there and if we conform to the specification that the ICC themselves have set out then the only barrier to us becoming a Test nation would be political. And if it is political then it is unreasonable.

"What you saw last year (in the World Cup row) was a shout from beneath that said 'we're not just going to play Twenty20 cricket'.

"It would be unfair to deny a pathway to the highest form of the game.

"This is not a dreamy aspiration but a real ambition founded on the playing talent being developed on this island, the growing passion and profile of the game here, a sustained and proven track record of achievement on and off the field."

At present, Ireland face the continual prospect of losing their best and most ambitious players to England, who can offer them the chance of Test cricket. Ed Joyce and Eoin Morgan have already made that move, with Boyd Rankin, Paul Stirling and George Dockrell also on the ECB's radar.