- Title: BANGLADESH: CRICKET: Ireland out to prove their World Cup "worth" - O'Brien.
- Date: 22nd February 2011
- Summary: DHAKA, BANGLADESH (FEBRUARY 20, 2010) (REUTERS) IRELAND TEAM TRAINING AHEAD OF MATCH WITH BANGLADESH IRELAND TEAM MEMBERS THROWING BALLS IRELAND WICKET KEEPER NIALL O'BRIEN PRACTICISING THROWING DHAKA, BANGALDESH (FEBRUARY 21, 2011) (REUTERS -ACCESS ALL) NIALL O'BRIEN SITTING DOWN FOR INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (English) IRELAND WICKETKEEPER NIALL O'BRIEN SAYING: "If we can play well over the next five or six weeks then hopefully things will take care of themselves. We believe we're good enough to play in World Cups and we want to play in World Cups moving forward, going down the years. We obviously want to play in 2015 in Australia and New Zealand but that's a long way away and you never know where we'll be then as individuals or as a cricket team. But it's important we get these wins out here in Bangladesh and India and Sri Lanka, you know move on and make a statement there." DHAKA, BANGLADESH (FEBRUARY 20, 2010) (REUTERS) IRELAND NET SESSION IN PROGRESS DHAKA, BANGALDESH (FEBRUARY 21, 2011) (REUTERS -ACCESS ALL) (SOUNDBITE) (English) IRELAND WICKETKEEPER NIALL O'BRIEN SAYING: "It's raised the profile of the sport in Ireland itself. You know we've gone from being a small, minority of people who play cricket and follow cricket to being well recognised as a good sporting team in our country. So it's important we keep developing. We've got a good enough bunch of players here to go far in this tournament and keep growing the game in Ireland. We believe we're here to do a good job and win matches and get through to the next stage and then go even further hopefully." DHAKA, BANGLADESH (FEBRUARY 20, 2010) (REUTERS) IRELAND NET SESSION IN PROGRESS DHAKA, BANGALDESH (FEBRUARY 21, 2011) (REUTERS -ACCESS ALL) (SOUNDBITE) (English) IRELAND WICKETKEEPER NIALL O'BRIEN SAYING: "As a group of cricketers, we've played enough now around the world to adapt very quickly and we've been here before, on the sub continent before Christmas. So we know the conditions, pretty much, what we're going to come up against. So I don't think conditions are going to play a massive part. Obviously Bangladesh will have the home crowd behind them, which is going to be a big help to them. But we're a strong group of people, we're Irish we're fighters, and we're going to fight on Friday night." O'BRIEN BEING INTERVIEWED (SOUNDBITE) (English) IRELAND WICKETKEEPER NIALL O'BRIEN SAYING: "It's a game we believe we can win. We've beaten Bangladesh quite a few times recently. So we go in full of confidence. Obviously Bangladesh losing to India in the first game puts a lot of pressure on them and we're full of confidence and looking forward to the game." DHAKA, BANGLADESH (FEBRUARY 20, 2010) (REUTERS) IRELAND PLAYERS PREPARING FOR NET SESSION DHAKA, BANGALDESH (FEBRUARY 21, 2011) (REUTERS -ACCESS ALL) (SOUNDBITE) (English) IRELAND WICKETKEEPER NIALL O'BRIEN SAYING: "You know I had a great time in the Caribbean (at the last World Cup), a great time in the T20 in the UK (2009), so it's obviously important that I play well. But we've got many good players in this team. We've got a great opening partnership of Porterfield (William) and Stirling (Paul), Joyce (Ed) back at three is excellent, and we've got good opening bowlers in Trent Johnston and Boyd Rankin so we've got all basis covered. But for me, the point is just to go out and enjoy my cricket, play with a smile on my face. You know I'm playing the World Cup, you don't get to play it very often so go out and enjoy it." DHAKA, BANGLADESH (FEBRUARY 20, 2010) (REUTERS) IRELAND TEAM IN HUDDLE AT MIRPUR STADIUM
- Embargoed: 9th March 2011 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Bangladesh, Bangladesh
- Country: Bangladesh
- Topics: Sports
- Reuters ID: LVAC350D93R10CH7D2XXJ6P35U1J
- Story Text: Ireland's Niall O'Brien says his team has the chance prove to the ICC why they and other associate nations should be at the Cricket World Cup.
Ireland hope to prove the International Cricket Council (ICC) wrong in deciding to cut the associate nations from the sports showpiece tournament when they compete at the World Cup on the sub-continent.
The Irish open their campaign in Dhaka on Friday (February 25) when they square off against tournament co-hosts Bangladesh.
Four years ago, Ireland shocked the cricketing world when they beat Pakistan to advance to the now defunct Super Six stage in the Caribbean.
But the participation of associate nations such as Ireland at the World Cup is almost certain to end this year with the ICC set to reduce the number of teams at the tournament to ten.
Veteran Irish wicket keeper Niall O'Brien is poised to compete in his fourth World Cup and told Reuters the ICC decision should motivate for his team as they fight for regular competition.
"If we can play well over the next five or six weeks then hopefully things will take care of themselves," O'Brien stressed.
"We believe we're good enough to play in World Cups and we want to play in World Cups moving forward, going down the years.
"We obviously want to play in 2015 in Australia and New Zealand but that's a long way away and you never know where we'll be then as individuals or as a cricket team.
"But it's important we get these wins out here in Bangladesh and India and Sri Lanka, you know move on and make a statement there," O'Brien added.
Ireland are in Group B at the World Cup, alongside India, Bangladesh, West Indies, South Africa, England and The Netherlands.
After their success at the last edition, a quarter final place is an achievable target and one that O'Brien believed would help to continue the growth of a sport that has come a long way in his country.
"It's raised the profile of the sport in Ireland itself. You know we've gone from being a small, minority of people who play cricket and follow cricket to being well recognised as a good sporting team in our country," O'Brien said.
"So it's important we keep developing. We've got a good enough bunch of players here to go far in this tournament and keep growing the game in Ireland.
"We believe we're here to do a good job and win matches and get through to the next stage and then go even further hopefully."
Bangladesh are Ireland's first challenge and the difficult Dhaka conditions will not be used as an excuse if the Irish fail to perform, O'Brien insisted.
"As a group of cricketers, we've played enough now around the world to adapt very quickly and we've been here before, on the sub continent before Christmas," he said.
"So we know the conditions, pretty much, what we're going to come up against. So I don't think conditions are going to play a massive part.
"Obviously Bangladesh will have the home crowd behind them, which is going to be a big help to them. But we're a strong group of people, we're Irish we're fighters, and we're going to fight on Friday night."
O'Brien will again be a key feature of the Ireland team but said it was important contributions came from everyone.
"You know I had a great time in the Caribbean (at the last World Cup), a great time in the T20 in the UK (2009), so it's obviously important that I play well," he said.
"But we've got many good players in this team. We've got a great opening partnership of Porterfield (William) and Stirling (Paul), Joyce (Ed) back at three is excellent, and we've got good opening bowlers in Trent Johnston and Boyd Rankin so we've got all basis covered.
"But for me, the point is just to go out and enjoy my cricket, play with a smile on my face. You know I'm playing the World Cup, you don't get to play it very often so go out and enjoy it." - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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