Ireland captain William Porterfield believes his side is capable of causing some upsets at the World Twenty20 providing they get through to the Super 10 stage.
Ireland take on Zimbabwe, UAE and Netherlands knowing that they must top Group B to qualify for Group 1 where England, South Africa, Sri Lanka and New Zealand await.
In the past, Ireland have registered stunning wins in the World Cup, most notably against Pakistan at the 2007 World Cup and England in 2011.
Just last month, Ireland beat defending champions West Indies in Kingston, winning by six wickets in the first T20 of the series.
And Porterfield says there’s no reason why more giant-killing acts can’t happen in Bangladesh.
“Our first goal is to win those three games (in group B). If we win those three games then there’s no reason why not (in creating surprises),” said Porterfield, whose side left for Bangladesh from Dubai yesterday following a oneweek training camp in the UAE.
“We beat West Indies a few weeks ago and we know what we are capable of.”
The 29-year-old knows his side will have to be at their very top if they want to go further in the competition.
“We have got a tough couple of games. Zimbabwe have been a Test nation for quite a while. You have UAE who will be playing in similar conditions to what it is here (in UAE) and we know the strengths that Netherlands have as well,” said Porterfield.
“Whichever group we were in, we knew it would be a tough group. Now we have to be ready to fire and show our potential.”
The Irish squad has a mix of youth and experience, and Porterfield believes new players like George Dockrell and Craig Young can only learn from the tournament.
“We have quite a lot of new faces coming into the squad over the last 12 months. There are a few young guys coming that are willing to learn on their feet like George Dockrell and Craig Young who are in their early 20s. It’s good for them to get some experience under their belt,” said Porterfield, whose side lost by six wickets to Worcestershire on Friday.
The captain is satisfied with the balance of the team and says 21-year-old Dockrell will play a crucial role in the side.
“We have some good spinners in our squad and got a good balance in the side. Dockrell has been our main spinner for the last few years and he’s got a big role to play (in Bangladesh),” he said.
Meanwhile, coach Phil Simmons echoes Porterfield’s view but is worried by the lack of depth in the seamers department.
“Spin will be a major factor but we will have to get there (Bangladesh) and see what the pitches are out there,” said the 50-year-old.
“Seamers still have to do their job. We don’t have a problem with our spin bowling. We have a problem with our seamers. It’s about getting things right as we go along.”
