This is probably the biggest game in Irish cricket history, certainly the biggest game I’ve ever played in. What’s at stake is monumental – a place in the quarter-finals, which would be a great achievement for the team and Irish sport in general. The players are very excited; all the preparation is done and we’re just looking forward to playing against Pakistan at a great venue like the Adelaide Oval.
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The stadium is considerably big – with a capacity of over 53,000. It has state-of-the-art facilities and the pitch is kept in fantastic condition. The only way to describe it is like a carpet, it’s so comfortable you could probably curl up and sleep on the outfield. It should produce a thrilling spectacle and we know if we play to our ability we can beat them.
We have the capabilities to beat Pakistan on our day. Their bowling has been doing really well and that’s something we have to counteract. Mohammad Irfan, at a soaring 7’1, is a major threat. He releases the ball from nearly 8’5 foot so we’ve had the coaches standing on big blocks to throw the ball from a different height in order for us to get used to this different bounce. Left-armed fast bowler Wahab Riaz is another threat, and obviously so is Shahid Afridi, who on his day is a potential match winner.
But whatever Pakistan have from 1-11, we can match. We know we have a collective ability in our squad that can offer the same threat. We know when were in the field were a better fielding team and a fitter side. We know we can save 10-15 runs in a game and there’s always a chance of a few run-outs against them too so we need to put them under pressure.
Phil’s been very vocal about us going out and enjoying the game, and that’s been the theme throughout the tournament. We’ve been working hard in the lead-up to the games and our aim is to showcase our potential on the field.
Around the streets of Adelaide, the Irish support is building. The sporadic Gaelic jersey can be seen on a daily basis and this brings an optimistic feeling around the city that people believe in what we can do. Some of my friends have flown in from different corners of the world for this game so its setting up to be a magnificent occasion, and one that we’re relishing.
Overall, Adelaide is a beautiful city to walk around. I went to the zoo with Bex; she was keen to see a Kuala and a kangaroo. I’m a big fan of wildlife. I love tigers and speaking to some of the workers, it was interesting to hear about the history of the animals and where they belong in the wild.
It’s been great travelling and catching up with old friends that I haven’t seen in a while. I recently met up with one of my mates from Kent who I hadn’t seen in nearly six years. He’s got a little kid now which is brilliant. It’s great to get away from the cricket sometimes and go for a walk and see old friends.
Early flight to Adelaide to see if #BlarneyArmy can help carry @Irelandcricket to the #CWC15 quarter finals #IrevPak pic.twitter.com/IQuqX05VJv
— Adam Mountford (@tmsproducer) March 14, 2015
The team itself is relaxed going into the game. Balbo’s copping some stick for a bad haircut. It’s nice to have a laugh amongst the lads and it gets better when you have a man like Shay Livingstone from Galway staying in the same hotel as you. He’s the guy in the green shamrock suit at our games. A great presence and a seasoned story teller.
There will be lots of emotion singing Ireland’s call prior to the game and seeing the supporters in the stadium singing along with us. Once we’re out on the pitch, we’ll aim to dominate from the first ball. The Pakistan players might be relaxed after their recent impressive displays, but they’re also wary of the Irish threat after our victory in 2007. History might be in the making again.
