CRICKET:DRAMA, INTRIGUE, fierce tension and an alleged murder were some of the things that made Ireland's inaugural World Cup adventure in the Caribbean four years ago sound more like a Dan Brown novel than a sporting adventure.
The plucky amateurs tying with Zimbabwe, then beating Pakistan on St Patrick’s Day to knock them out, and the sudden death and murder inquiry into the events that saw their coach, Bob Woolmer, pass away in the hours after that game added a surreal edge to the whole event. The investigation eventually saw the squad interviewed and fingerprinted in Grenada before they would leave for home, with the subsequent public inquiry recording an open verdict on Woolmer’s death.
If 2007 was an adventure for a talented mix of a few professional, but mainly part-timers, shaking the world of cricket under the brilliant tutelage of coach Adrian Birrell, this time Ireland go into the tournament as well prepared as any team in the competition. This time 13 of the players make a full-time living from the game and they are backed up by a support structure that matches any sporting team on this island.
They lack the element of surprise this time and all the top teams are aware if they fail to turn up on the day, Ireland are well capable of causing more damage.
The new format of the competition (see panel) will provide a tougher challenge for Phil Simmons and his squad, with at least three wins required to book a place in the quarter-finals. The opening clash against Bangladesh in Dhaka and the one with India in Bangalore will provide the Irish with the most hostile atmosphere they will witness in cricket, although a few brought up in the cricketing hotbeds of the North West and Fingal might disagree.
They will need no motivation to get up for the clash against England, with Ed Joyce bound to want to make an impression after playing for them in 2007, while Simmons knows the West Indies can be vulnerable on their day.
Their victory in their final warm-up game against Zimbabwe, a game which Joyce and skipper William Porterfield sat out, has primed the squad and the mood in the camp is high ahead of next Friday’s opening game. By that time all six of their group rivals will have played a game and they are bound to have taken note of strengths and weaknesses.
As for the overall winner of the tournament, the bookies have put India in as 3 to 1 favourites. But the pressure to win on home soil could be too much and the 7 to 2 on offer on Sri Lanka looks a better deal. With a strong group of players, nine of whom played in 2007, and with Muttiah Muralitharan bound to play a huge role, they look like serious challengers.
WORLD CUP ODDS (Paddy Power): India 3/1, Sri Lanka 7/2, South Africa 5/1, Australia 11/2, Pakistan 7/1, England 7/1, West Indies 20/1, New Zealand 20/1, Bangladesh 33/1, Zimbabwe 200/1, Ireland 500/1, Netherlands 750/1, Canada 1000/1, Kenya 1000/1.
