CricketViewer.com

Ireland coach Adrian Birrell is preparing for an emotional farewell when the team play their last match of the World Cup against Sri Lanka in Grenada on Wednesday.

South African Birrell, aged 46, has guided Irish cricket from the international wilderness to the heights of the World Cup Super Eights having beaten 1992 champions Pakistan to qualify and then another test side Bangladesh on Sunday.

Five years ago we were ranked below Denmark (who did not play in the World Cup) and now we are ranked ahead of all the other associates, Birrell told reporters. Its very satisfying to know that I have moved it forward that much. Im very proud of what weve achieved. Its not only me, we have a great squad of players and we are tight and there is a wonderful team spirit.

I’m very proud of the five years I’ve spent in Ireland, he added. It’s been a great experience for me. The people have accepted me as one of their own. There have been hard decisions and tough times along the way but the overriding feeling was that we made progress every year and we have certainly moved forward in the last few weeks.

Ireland were promoted to become the 12th member of the official One-day International (ODI) rankings ladder with their 74-run win over Bangladesh. It was expected that the two wins would even take them ahead of Kenya into 11th place.

Birrell has worked with his successor, the former West Indies player Phil Simmons, throughout the campaign. We ‘ve got a hell of a coach and he has been one of the best motivators I have ever been involved with, captain Trent Johnston said, attributing the team’s response against Bangladesh from a thrashing by Australia to Birrell.

Birrell told reporters that his next move will be to play golf but before he eventually moves back to South Africa he will coach coaches and generally take a back seat from what has been a draining and dramatic World Cup for him. I am very emotional at times but Im bearing up, Birrell said.
Source:The News