World cup 2015 Group B Match 5 Preview: Ireland vs West Indies

Date: Feb 16, 2015 Time: 0330 IST
Venue: Saxton Oval, Nelson

World cup 2015 Group B Match 5 Preview: Ireland vs West Indies: This is a match between a rising young ODI team who are capable of causing big upsets and a onetime super power of cricket which is embroiled in its own mismanagement. The match would be more about one team trying to cause an upset by beating a former champion team and the former champions trying to get their best XI and playing to their potential.

Ireland

Ireland is coming off a successful tri-series in Dubai. They have played their Warm up matches in New Zealand and have fared well in both the games. They are looking to push their case for Test status in coming future and also for the cause of Associate members to be included in the 2023 World cup, as the next World cup will contain the top 10 ODI ranked teams only instead of current 14 team format.

Ireland beat England and Netherlands in the last World cup in 2011. Since then they have been raising their voice for more matches for associate nations for international exposure. The strength of Irish team lies in its batting with the likes of Captain William Porterfield, Ed Joyce, Kevin O’Brien, Niall O’Brien and Gary Wilson at the helm.

Their bowling has the skill and temperament to unsettle the best of batting despite losing Boyd Rankin to England. They have experience in Alex Cusack, Craig Young and Stuart Thompson with the guile of George Dockrell, who is probably the best spinner from non-test playing nations in current time.

West Indies:

The West Indies are trying to put behind all the trouble back home between the player’s association and the board which resulted in the sacking of Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard from the World cup squad. The problem began with the team abandoning the India tour midway through an ODI series.

They chose an experience less Jason Holder as their captain and have a named the best side which they could muster. The batting seems very powerful on paper with names like Chris Gayle, Dwayne Smith, Marlon Samuels, Darren Bravo in the top order and Denesh Ramdin, Darren Sammy and Andre Russell providing the fireworks at the end of the innings. But the problem has been the form of most of the batsmen in the recent series against South Africa. Chris Gayle is still ineffective in ODIs and Dwayne Smith is more of a hit and miss case currently. The only steady performers have been Samuels, Bravo, Ramdin and Russells. They will certainly miss the abilities, the charisma and enthusiasm of both Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard, not forgetting their big hitting abilities.

The bowling department was weakened with withdrawal of their trump card and the number 2 bowler in ODIs Sunil Narine, whose action was cleared by the ICC, but he chose to withdraw to work on his new action. The bowling now rests in the hands of Captain Holder, a recently fit Kemar Roach, Sulieman Benn and Nikita Miller.

West Indies will look to win the match to build up confidence and forget the problems back home to concentrate on the best cricket that they are going to play in this tournament.

Last 5 ODIs:

Ireland: NR L W W L

West Indies: L W L L L

Possible playing XI:

Ireland : John Mooney, Alex Cusack, George Dockrell, Ed Joyce, William Porterfield (C), Kevin O’Brien, Paul Stirling, Niall O’Brien (WK), Stuart Thompson, Gary Wilson, Craig Young

West Indies: Darren Sammy, Marlon Samuels, Chris Gayle, Dwayne Smith, Darren Bravo, Sulieman Benn, Jason Holder (C), Denesh Ramdin (WK), Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Jerome Taylor