 | Bangladesh, Ireland play for pride in contest of surprise Super 8 qualifiers
15 April, 2007
Barbados (AP) - World Cup debutant Ireland hopes it will recover from its mauling by defending champion Australia to beat overachiever Bangladesh in Sunday's meeting when little more than pride is at stake.
"Our confidence has been bruised after the annihilation by Australia, but we'll pick ourselves up for the next game against Bangladesh," says Ireland's coach Adrian Birrell, whose team lost by nine wickets after being bowled out for 91.
Birrell asserted that Ireland was looking to cap its World Cup outing by winning the contest against the other unheralded team and maybe avoid finishing last in the Super 8s.
Both Bangladesh and Ireland emerged as surprise Super 8s qualifiers after posting stunning wins against two former world champions, India and Pakistan, in their preliminary groups.
"The Bangladesh match is like our World Cup final," said Ireland's spinner Kyle McCallan. "I've been playing cricket for 11 years, it's a minority sport but what we have achieved in this World Cup is a huge credit to Irish cricket.
"We've put the Australia game behind us, we're now ready for Bangladesh."
He said the Ireland team had received huge support from back home.
"We've got a bag full of letters . . . congratulatory messages, cards of well done in the World Cup and good luck themes for the match against Bangladesh," he said. "We went through the letters all night, it was lovely. The letters show fans now care for cricket."
Crushed by nine wickets in its stiffest World Cup outing Friday against Australia, Ireland finds itself in a similar situation that Bangladesh experienced at the start of the Super 8s, the equivalent of a quarter-final league.
Release link:http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Cricket/2007/04/14/4014166-ap.html
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