Birrell hoping to upset his favourites

Adrian Birrell is the first to admit that he had no idea what he was letting himself in for when he took the Irish coaching job. But for certain issues on the home front, he might not even have contemplated such a move. Having done so, however, he's seen the team make tremendous strides and the pinnacle will be reached when they take on South Africa, the land of his birth, in Guyana on Tuesday.

"Not very much at all," he answers with a smile, when you ask him what he knew of Irish cricket prior to crossing the ocean. "I just went to an interview. It was a traumatic time for my wife and I. She was a partner with Deloittes and had moved to East London. I was still living and working in Port Elizabeth, coaching Eastern Province for three years. The problems associated with living apart were among the main reasons for coming to Ireland."

Once he arrived, what he saw wasn't your average cricketing backwater. "I was surprised at the number of clubs they had, and blown away by the passion and commitment of those involved in the game," he says. "The support from the Irish cricket family was phenomenal."

The progress made with that support has been nothing short of revelatory, with a team once ranked 18th in the world reaching the Super Eights, and upsetting Pakistan along the way. As for the shallow Associate pool where they learnt to swim, the honours have included the Intercontinental Cup in 2005, and second place to Scotland in the ICC Trophy.

Birrell admits that expatriate players have played a part. "They've been very important, a cornerstone of our success," he says, referring to the likes of Trent Johnston, the captain, and Jeremy Bray, the opener - individuals who learnt the game's intricacies in New South Wales, historically the heart of Australian cricket.

Dave Langford-Smith, a delivery driver who takes the new ball, shares those roots, and Birrell says: "The guys who came over from Australia have had a huge impact, as has Andre Botha who has experience of first-class cricket in South Africa."

On Tuesday, Botha will run into Mickey Arthur, who coached him for three years at Griquas. After the pre-match press conference, there were warm handshakes, and Birrell clearly relishes the opportunity to match his wits against someone he regards as a friend. Even before the shock win against Pakistan, Birrell had spoken of how Arthur had given him some tips on a Pakistani side that had lost a one-day series 3-1 in the Cape just weeks earlier.

"We met a long time ago and coached at provincial level against each other," says Birrell. "It's fantastic to be in the Super Eights, and for me to coach a side against South Africa is fantastic and a great honour."

He certainly has a few players capable of giving South Africa uncomfortable moments. Boyd Rankin, the giant in green from Londonderry, has six wickets at 23.5 including three against Pakistan, and Birrell says that his new-ball spell could be central to Irish hopes of an upset. "At this level, you need firepower, and Boyd has always promised a lot in terms of the raw material," he says. "He's now starting to deliver, and working with Mike Hendrick at Derbyshire will certainly help his progress."

Another youngster to watch might be Eoin Morgan, who hasn't yet delivered an innings commensurate with his potential at this World Cup. "He's at the start of his career, and I'm sure he'll have a bright future," says Birrell. "He could even end up playing for England."

Much will depend on the old hands though. Bray might only be playing club cricket in Ireland, but Birrell says that his experience - he once represented Australia's Under-19s - will be invaluable against the better sides. The same can be said of Johnston, who has a day-job as textile salesman, Birrell's choice for the leadership role. "I dropped the old captain, Jason Mullins, and made Trent skipper in November 2005 because I needed someone with passion and heart," says Birrell. "He leads from the front."

Johnston bowls tidy medium pace and can whack the ball a considerable distance, but Birrell is sure that the future of Irish cricket lies with the homegrown talent. Niall O'Brien has left Kent for Northamptonshire, and guaranteed himself a place in Irish cricketing lore with the 72 against Pakistan. And even though England prevailed by 48 runs, Ireland were far from disgraced, with O'Brien's 63 leading the resistance.

"We need to continue knocking on the door," says Birrell. "Test status, or even regular matches against the top sides, is a long way down the line. We have to look at the infrastructure, the internal league and every aspect of Irish cricket development. They've appointed a high-profile CEO, and I'm sure he'll take cricket to greater heights, as will Phil Simmons who takes over from me after the World Cup.

"We might not have the numbers of an India or Australia, but some of the boys waiting in the wings are very good. These results might just be the incentive for them to try even harder."

As for him, this World Cup adventure marks the end of the coaching road. "I plan to stay in Ireland and rest for a while," he says. "It's time I supported my wife and family. I hope to be involved with cricket in other ways, perhaps as a coach educator at an academy or in some sort of consultant role. I'll also look at motivational speaking. Either way, it will be something that doesn't take me away from home for too long."

For the moment, there's a big match to look ahead to. "South Africa is a huge match for me personally," he says with a smile. "I'm a huge fan, and I really do hope they can go all the way and win it." A mischievous grin and a pause later, he adds: "If we don't."