Column: Ireland seek another memorable World Cup

By John Kenny

Another World Cup odyssey for Ireland is about to begin and this time its Down Under to Australia and New Zealand.

Thanks to the crazy schedule imposed by the International Cricket Council, we will be at six different venues spread across the two countries for Ireland's Pool B games

No Sydney or Melbourne - the hotbeds of the Irish diaspora - for the Irish team, instead it will be Nelson and Hamilton in New Zealand, and Hobart in Tasmania.

There is Brisbane, Canberra and Adelaide as well, but there is one heck of a lot of travelling from venue to venue. Ireland's tournament starts with a game in Nelson at 10pm Irish time on Sunday night against the West Indies (follow live blog on RTÉ.ie from 10pm).

Mixed build-up for Phil Simmons' side

A heavy defeat to Scotland in a warm up game, a team which has usually been cannon fodder for the Irish, was followed by a big turnaround in beating Bangladesh by four wickets today.

Up until that win against Bangladesh, portents had not looked good ahead of the West Indies clash.

The West Indies themselves are in disarray having pulled out of tour to India due to player contract problems. They have also taken recent big hammerings from South Africa and England, no world beaters themselves at the moment.

Sunday night's game is the first of six for Ireland in their bid to make the quarter-finals. Three wins are the minimum requirement.

After the West Indies, Ireland's second game is against the UAE in Brisbane on 25 February. South Africa, Zimbabwe, India and Pakistan will follow.

Four survivors from Ireland team in 2007

Ireland have a squad of 15 here. The team includes four survivors from the never-to-be-forgotten 2007 campaign - William Porterfield, John Mooney and brothers Kevin and Niall O'Brien.

It's a third World Cup as well for Ed Joyce, but he was playing for England in 2007 and returned to the green of Ireland in time to help beat the Old Enemy in Bangalore in 2011. That game also saw Kevin O'Brien make the fastest century in world cup history to help give Ireland the famous win.

I'm writing this as we approach Sydney having passed through Dubai. I overnight in Sydney before an early morning flight to Christchurch NZ and then finally onto Nelson - a 45-hour trip.

That's not the end of it.There is still Brisbane, Canberra, Hobart, Hamilton and Adelaide to come.

Follow a live blog on Ireland v West Indies from on Sunday 15 February from 10pm on RTÉ.ie and RTÉ News Now app

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