GRENADA: :Ireland train before their match against Sri Lanka

Ireland play their last match of the World Cup against Sri Lanka in Grenada on Wednesday (April 18) with an emotional farewell planned for the Ireland coach Adrian Birrell. South African Birrell, 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. "You know we've backed ourselves and we definitely did not turn up here to come eighth," said Ireland captain Trent Johnston. "And I think the cricketing world can see that the way we played against Bangladesh. So we're going to come out tomorrow and play exactly the same level of intensity with a smile on our face like we have all tournament. And at the end of the day it's this bloke's (referring to South African coach Adrian Birrell) last game, so were going to give him one hell of a send off." Ireland were promoted to become the 12th member of the official one-day international 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. The coach told reporters: "You know I won't be in charge, you know from tomorrow on, but I think we are better placed you know than this time last year with a lot more experience. But I think I think we may only have won one game last year, but a lot of those experiences we've drawn upon in our success in this world cup and sometimes you need to lose to improve." Birrell has 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.

ITN Source | April 19, 2007

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