Giantkillers Ireland no longer surprise

AFP, Nelson :
Ireland are out to prove yet again they can mix it with cricket’s top tier nations, with captain William Porterfield saying it should be no surprise if they beat the West Indies on Monday.
Despite being woefully short of top level competition compared to the Caribbean cricketers, Porterfield believed the pedigree was there to win their opening World Cup match in Nelson.
After being labelled giantkillers for the way they beat Pakistan when they played in the World Cup for the first time in 2007 and stunned England four years later, the Ireland skipper believed the class of 2015 was also capable of an upset.
“There’s not many teams that won’t know much about the 15 lads in our squad,” he said on the eve of their Cup opener.
“I don’t think it will be a surprise. We’re preparing for every game and going out there to win that game and I don’t think it will be a surprise.”
He also dismissed reports of dissatisfaction within the West Indies ranks after Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard were dropped after the players’ strike during their India tour last year and 23-year-old Jason Holder was named captain.
“Whatever happens back there in terms of who gets in their squad I don’t really care to be honest,” he said.
“I’m happy enough with our preparations and how we’ve gone about things and which ever 11 takes the field for them then that’s who we’ve got to beat.”
But behind the bravado there was no escaping Ireland’s difficulties in preparing for the World Cup compared to the West Indies.