CRICKET:Irish cricket has never been so strong, and the senior team enters the upcoming World Cup justifiably nursing a dream or two, writes Richard Gillis

Times are changing for the Ireland cricket team. For much of the past two weeks they have been caught up in a whirl of media activity as the country, and the broader cricketing world, wants to know more about them before they make their debut in the ICC Cricket World Cup.

Even Dublin's taxi drivers are getting in on the act, according to Ireland coach Adrian Birrell.

"Until recently, none had even heard of the Ireland cricket team, now I frequently get asked about our chances," he says.

The answer they get from Birrell is based on five years' experience as the driving force behind Irish cricket.

"There is not another group I'd rather be in," says Birrell, who retires at the end of the tournament.

Ireland will play Zimbabwe, West Indies and Pakistan over two weeks starting on March 15th. It's a group that encourages a dream or two. The Zimbabwe team has undergone huge upheaval in the past year, whereas the form of West Indies and Pakistan is notoriously difficult to fathom.

"If we have a chance of beating a top test-playing nation it is against West Indies or Pakistan. And we will try to outperform Zimbabwe; whoever plays better on that day will win."

Birrell is well aware of the need for care when setting expectations and knows he's playing to a number of constituencies. Sponsors want to hear their money has been well spent, players need to be bolstered and the media and the public demand positive statements of intent.

The fact remains, however, that Zimbabwe are a test-playing nation, a rung above Ireland. Birrell is right to temper enthusiasm with realism.

"Zimbabwe will be ready for us," he says. "We have to remember that they play better sides than we do on a regular basis. We will have to play above our capabilities. If we win that, then it is up for grabs."

The team are coming off a mixed set of results. At the World Cricket League, a series of one-day internationals between the Associate-level countries, they lost four of their five games. They followed this with an impressive win against UAE in the semi-final of the Intercontinental Cup.

The coach believes it is important to learn from the bruising experience of Nairobi but to resist over-analysis.

"It was very close to being fantastic," he says. "We played an enormous amount of high-quality cricket. We lost games on one or two bad overs. For 90 percent of the game we outplayed the opposition. When you lose from those sorts of positions, it is very hard to cope. The margins were so small.

"But it has shown us that we can compete on terms with the best Associate teams. The two going through to the Twenty20 World Cup are Scotland and Kenya, and we are every bit as good as they are. Both those games we should have won.

"One less wide or one better ball in the blockhole would have shown that our preparation was spot on. I firmly believe we were the best-prepared team at the tournament. Form in sport, peaking at the right time, is paramount. In retrospect we peaked a week too late."

Birrell expects the World Cup to be a high-scoring affair. Small grounds, friendly pitches and new laws all work in favour of bat over ball.

Twenty20 cricket over the past three years is another factor. In the short version of the game, anything less than 10 an over is regarded as pedestrian. This mentality has filtered into the 50-over format.

"We are seeing a new trend," says Birrell. "The rules are making the bat dominant. The format has changed; batters are becoming much more aggressive. The powerplays seem to favour the batting side and it's difficult to bowl two spinners anymore.

"The pitches have been like roads, magnificent batting surfaces. At an Associate level, a par score is around 270, which a few years ago was thought of as exceptional.

"Likewise, at the elite level par is around 300-plus."

Birrell's approach has been to fill the side with finely honed all-rounders.

"It is playing to my whole coaching philosophy. I've been beating a drum for five years for batting all the way down. Speed, agility and athleticism in the field - that's the modern game. We have 15 of this type of cricketer in our squad."

The major concern in the make-up of the Ireland team is the lack of penetration in the bowling. Birrell cites Scotland's recent success as an example: "Man for man Ireland's batsmen are better than theirs. We are a better fielding side. But their bowlers at the start and finish of the innings got them to the final of the World Cricket League."

In particular the hunt is on for a fast bowler. Birrell says Ireland is not breeding quicks mainly because the pitches are not conducive, offering too much reward for medium-pace seamers.

For this reason, Birrell is keen to talk up the potential of Boyd Rankin, who has a contract with Derbyshire in the county championship. At 6ft 8ins, Rankin has the physique to generate considerable bounce. He is, however, a lone hope: "There are not too many in the system," says Birrell.

The performance of the Ireland team, and that of the other Associate countries, will be closely monitored at this World Cup. A number of cricketing luminaries, Michael Holding and Michael Atherton prominent among them, have said they should not be there at all.

Holding went so far as to say so in a speech at a function to celebrate Bermuda's involvement in the tournament. The criticism is that at a month and a half the tournament is too long, entailing too many one-sided games.

"There is a feeling out there that the presence of Associate members weakens the tournament," says Birrell. But, he says, the ICC has a duty to grow the game and the challenge for Ireland is to be strong enough to compete.

"We have to put up a good showing against the full member countries and show the world that they belong on the world stage.

"Otherwise the authorities will rethink their strategy."

Such changes no longer concern the amiable South African, however. The World Cup will mark the end of Adrian Birrell's tenure as Ireland coach. It is a mark of his all-round contribution to the game in this country that Ireland are European Champions at every age level.

Last Sunday, at the ICU's annual general meeting, Birrell received an emotional send-off from the members of the cricket clubs and regional unions, who regard him with great affection and admiration.

Come the end of the tournament, Birrell will retire from the game to spend more time with his family. Phil Simmons will take over and a new era will begin.

"I leave him a situation where people are very unhappy if we lose a match," says Birrell. "The expectations for winning are very high. I take that as a huge compliment, because when I started they were very low."

He says that of the current crop of players, very few are thinking of retiring after the World Cup, leaving Simmons with the bulk of the squad to form the nucleus for the next few years.

"We are in a very healthy position for 2009," he says, "If you look at the world rankings, our top players are mainly the younger mob, compared to our competitors in the Associate cricket."

Birrell has made it clear he will not be around to help his successor, believing it best to let him do his own thing.

"I can't break up with a girlfriend and then keep going back for tea," he points out.

GROUP D (Jamaica)

all games start at 2.20pm

March 15th: Ireland v Zimbabwe

March 17h: Ireland v Pakistan

March 23rd: Ireland v West Indies

Richard Gillis will report from the World Cup for 'The Irish Times'