The rain has finally left us after three and a half days of battling Cyclone Marcia in Brisbane. We had to train indoors up until Monday, which wasn’t ideal preparation for Wednesday’s game against the UAE. The indoor facilities at the Gabba are top class and we got plenty out of it between our skills, fitness and gym work. Because of the heavy rain, there was no chance of getting outside.
– #CWC15: World Cup Stick Cricket is here!
– #CWC15 Preview: Khurram Khan eyes UAE success against Ireland
– #CWC15: Double-ton Chris Gayle leads Windies past Zimbabwe
We’re riding the crest of the wave at the moment. We’re really looking forward to getting back out to the Gabba on Wednesday morning. I watched UAE play against Zimbabwe a couple of days ago. They’ve got a very talented team and their batting is their key strength. They are a well-coached side and have the experienced Paul Franks from Nottinghamshire assisting them. It will be interesting to see what the pitch conditions are like, because UAE normally play spin bowling pretty well. With the weather, it’ll probably favour the seamers. Their bowling was weak against Zimbabwe and that’s something we hope to capitalise on with the bat.
Our coach Phil Simmons was thrilled after our victory against the West Indies. Everyone was buzzing due to the manner of the win. Chasing a score of 303, and doing so with such ease. Phil said it was the best performance by an Irish team in the history of Irish cricket. In the dressing room, we sung Ireland’s Call loud and proud, just like we do after each win. Everyone was emotional and the feedback we got on social media was unbelievable.
That night, we went into Nelson as a team. Nelson is a quiet city but there were plenty of supporters around the town so it was great to have a sing song and interact with the people who were out supporting us. It wasn’t the craziest of celebrations we would have had in the past, but that’s due to the nature of the victory. We prepared to win the game so it wasn’t a great surprise that we closed it out in that manner. One from one, five to go.
En route to Brisbane, we stopped off at the Gold Coast for two days. It’s a nice part of the world with stunning beaches and nice restaurants. Our intention was to relax by the pool, nip down to the beach for a swim and just chill out after the West Indies game. Between the media hype and friends catching up with you, it can be fairly draining.
I read Sachin Tendulkar’s book Playing It My Way by the pool. Sachin’s such an amazing person; the amount of runs he scored throughout his career is remarkable. I played against him many times, but the runs he was scoring as a young man, hitting 200/300’s, is truly inspiring.
Great to see @sachin_rt getting behind Ireland etc to gain more exposure and more cricket.couldn’t have wished for a better supporter for us
— Niall John O Brien (@niallnobiobrien) February 22, 2015
During our stopover at the Gold Coast, we went on a boat along the river with the team. We had a BBQ and just chatted about the West Indies game. I’ve been getting some stick for running my brother Kevin out, so the boys have been winding me up. All the lads are in super form.
There are a few teams staying in Brisbane at the moment. Australia are in the same hotel as us. Bangladesh and Pakistan are here too. It’s nice to rub shoulders and catch up with players from opposition teams that you haven’t seen in a long time. I had a good chat with Australia’s Joe Burns, a teammate of mine at Leicestershire.
I met Ravi Ashwin of India in the hotel too: he’s been very supportive and he’s backing Ireland for future success. I also ran into Tamim Iqbal of Bangladesh – a good pal of mine from my time playing in the Bangladesh Premier League. It’s good to stop and chat for a few minutes to see how the respective teams are going and hearing feedback about our own performances.
Outside of our hectic schedule, we’ve looked around the shops and relaxed. Kev, Balbo, Paul Stirling and I went to see Kingsman: The Secret Service. It was quite an amusing film and a good chance to wind down. It’s important to get out of the hotel as it can be a lonely place if you spend too much time there.
Torrential rain in Brisbane meant indoor training for the squad – and lots of table tennis! #BackingGreen pic.twitter.com/yBwHjjhCjw
— Cricket Ireland (@Irelandcricket) February 20, 2015
It can be frustrating moving around. Luckily with Brisbane we’ll be here for a week, so we can unpack our stuff and actually settle. It can be a bit of pain going to a city for two days, unloading everything and then having to be out for a certain time the following day.
My fiancée Bex arrives this weekend. It will be great to see her and I’m looking forward to hearing how the wedding plans are going. The first few weeks are important, to get your head down and keep focused. It’s important to start well but now we have to kick on, and have a good campaign.
