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Marsh will return at No. 3 against West Indies but initially as a batter-only after an ankle injury

Alex Malcolm04-Oct-20222:48

Hodge: Green might go on to become one of the best Australia has produced

Mitchell Marsh is set to return at No. 3 for Australia but as a batter only in the first T20I against West Indies as he continues to recover from his ankle injury, while Marcus Stoinis is expected to be fit for Sunday’s opening T20I against England, with the pair of allrounders vital to the balance of their World Cup side.Captain Aaron Finch confirmed that both men were tracking well for the World Cup after missing the recent tour of India meaning that it looks unlikely there will be an opening for Cameron Green.However, Finch did note that Stoinis’ absence from this two-game series against West Indies and Marsh’s inability to bowl could change the structure of the side in the short term, given they will have fewer bowling options in their top seven, but he was adamant Marsh would play as a specialist batter.Related

• Finch batting at No. 4 leaves Australia with more questions than answers

• Is Green too good not to pick and who misses out for David?

• Cummins wary of burning Green but 'huge demand' inevitable as IPL question looms

• Hetmyer dropped from West Indies World Cup squad over missed flight

“Hundred percent, yeah,” Finch said. “He’s made that No. 3 spot his own in T20 cricket and I think the way that he played in the lead-up and then through the World Cup [last year] is so important for the way that we want to play and gives us a lot of flexibility through that middle order.”I think he had his second bowl yesterday and he felt really good. He pulled up well from it. So that’s a really positive sign. I think for the balance of the side, it’s better when they’re both bowling because you can get caught a little bit short if you go in with five bowlers. But we’ll work that out.”Marsh last played on August 28 in an ODI against Zimbabwe. He missed the three-match series against New Zealand and the three T20Is against India and did not bowl at all while recovering in Perth in September.Finch explained that the decision to leave Stoinis in Perth was a logistical one given the short turnaround time between the two matches against West Indies in Queensland. The second game is at the Gabba on Friday while the first of three matches against England is in Perth on Sunday. The team will have a five-hour flight across the country on Saturday after playing on Friday night.”He’s at a level where we think that he’ll be fully fit for that first game against England,” Finch said. “We were just conscious of the travel with a quick turnaround…it can be quite a high-risk game for some guys with some soft tissue injuries so he’s just still planning and preparing there. He’s such an important part of our side and the make-up of it, especially with his bowling.”Mitchell Marsh was back with the Australia squad•Getty Images

The Green question is a vexing one for Australia. He is currently not in the 15-player World Cup squad but is with the team in Queensland and available to play on Wednesday. If Stoinis and Marsh are fully fit there is almost no chance he can come into the 15, according to Finch.”I don’t think so,” Finch said. “It’s just one of those things. He had a really good tour of India. It was good for him to get an opportunity to open the batting so he’ll get more opportunities. I think he’ll get an opportunity at some point in this series. Obviously his batting is exceptional and he shows a lot with the ball. He keeps improving every time he gets an opportunity but over the next few weeks, he’ll get a run no doubt.”It leaves Australia contemplating playing five specialist bowlers at Metricon Stadium on Wednesday. It is something they have barely done since abandoning the strategy ahead of last year’s World Cup. But Glenn Maxwell is the only genuine bowling option in the top seven with Marsh unavailable to bowl and Stoinis absent, unless either Green, Daniel Sams or Sean Abbott slot in.If that does happen it would need to be the expense of Steven Smith or Tim David, given David Warner will return to the top to partner Finch and Marsh is at No. 3.”It’s never easy when you’re trying to balance up the side, particularly when the allrounders aren’t fully fit at the moment,” Finch said. “So that gives us an opportunity to keep tinkering with the squad. We feel as though we’ve got our best XI in the back of our mind, but it’s just not everyone’s 100% fit at the moment.”But we’ve still got a little bit of time for that over the next two and a half weeks. There’s five games plus the warm-up game against India. I think it’s important that we keep making sure that we’re giving ourselves enough options, because if something does happen in the World Cup the last thing you want is to be caught short in playing only one style of team or only one structure of team.”Mitchell Starc is fully fit after resting from the India tour due a minor knee issue. Ashton Agar remains in Perth with Stoinis as he also recovers from a side issue. Kane Richardson is back training with the squad but won’t play against West Indies.

The competition’s all-time leading runscorer and Brisbane’s games record-holder not offered a new deal

Alex Malcolm11-May-2022Chris Lynn is looking for a new BBL club after Brisbane Heat made the shock decision to delist the BBL’s all-time leading runscorer after 11 seasons at the club.Queensland Cricket and Brisbane Heat CEO Terry Svenson confirmed on Wednesday that Lynn would not be offered a new contract for next season after another disappointing year where Heat finished seventh.Lynn is the only player in BBL history to have scored more than 3000 runs, having made all of them for Heat in 105 matches but managed just 215 runs in 12 matches last season. He has also captained the club 50 times, more than any other player. Jimmy Peirson took over as captain last summer under new coach Wade Seccombe.”It’s not a decision that has come easily to the Heat by any means,” Svenson said. “Chris Lynn and his feats have made an indelible impression on the club, and his efforts over more than a decade can rightly be said to have had an enormously positive effect on cricket.”We should gratefully acknowledge the influence he has had on a generation of kids who have grown up thrilled by his batting exploits.”His appearance in a teal jumper each year would no doubt be linked by many households to the onset of their holidays, with the BBL being such an integral part of summer holidays.””The Heat wish him nothing but the best for the future as he transitions into another phase of his career and thank him wholeheartedly for his commitment to the game in Queensland.”The decision was made by Queensland and Brisbane Heat’s retention and recruitment committee which includes Svenson, Seccombe, Kirsten Pike, board member Ian Healy, selector Chris Hartley and high-performance general manager Bennett King.Healy, who chairs the committee, said the decision marked the beginning of the next phase at Heat.”Chris Lynn will be missed by thousands, however, the decision we have made as a club is about building on the legacy that he leaves as a foundation player, captain and ambassador for the Heat,” Healy said. “He holds a very special place in our history.”Heat look likely to land Australia Test opener Usman Khawaja after he opted to leave Sydney Thunder for family reasons. Khawaja is Queensland captain and lives in Brisbane with Heat looking a natural fit for him in order to spend more time at home during the BBL over the Christmas and New Year period.

With 12 months to go for the T20 World Cup, both teams will look to make positive strides in the opening game of the series

The Preview by Sreshth Shah13-Nov-2019

Big picture

Afghanistan must be hurting. Playing hosts to West Indies in their adopted home in India, their ODI campaign went so badly that the team’s losing streak in the format extended to 12 by the end of the series. There’s a mismatch in the philosophy of their batting (defensive) and bowling (attacking) units, and that gulf appears to have become deeper after the recent integration of a few young batsmen in the squad.But T20Is are Afghanistan’s best format. With a stockpile of mystery spinners and a batting unit that goes deep (if not always big) Afghanistan have made oppositions, especially when in the subcontinent, wary.There’s only one problem, though: they appear to have forgotten the art of winning.Last month, they shared the tri-nation T20I series trophy in Bangladesh because of a washed-out final. Prior to the title clash, they had lost two in a row, to Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.T20I defeats used to be rare for Afghanistan, back-to-back losses even more, but the only team since 2017 to hand them that fate in a bilateral series are West Indies.Although the West Indies side that blanked Afghanistan 3-0 in 2017 is vastly different from the squad that is touring India currently, there are a few similarities. The side is rejuvenated under a new captain – Kieron Pollard – and the influx of a new set of cricketers after the latest Caribbean Premier League season gives them an opportunity to blindside Afghanistan since they have seen very little of these players.What used to be Afghanistan’s advantage earlier has now shifted away from them, and if the visitors can negate the spin threat Afghanistan possess, there’s no reason why West Indies cannot top Afghanistan in the T20I series too.

Form guide

Afghanistan LLWWW (completed matches, most recent first)West Indies LLLLL

In the spotlight

Mujeeb Ur Rahman has, for long, been the junior in the trio of spinners Afghanistan have unleashed on their opponents. But as teams focused more and more on not giving wickets to Rashid Khan, they have ended up exposing themselves to Mujeeb’s guiles. The teenager was Afghanistan’s highest wicket-taker in the ODIs against West Indies, and earlier this year was the most successful spinner at the Shpageeza Premier League as well. In 2019, Mujeeb’s gone wicketless only once and takes a wicket every 15.66 runs. Not once has he conceded more than 30 runs in T20Is this year and as a new-ball bowler, the tone Mujeeb sets against a West Indian opening unit – that hasn’t seen much of him – may just be the difference between West Indies scoring a middling score and a big one.Opening batsman Brandon King made a useful 39 in his national debut for West Indies in their win in the third ODI and it won’t be surprising if he walks into the T20I team as well after a fantastic CPL 2019. A ninth-round pick during the CPL draft, King smacked 496 runs in 12 innings, at an average of 55.11 and a strike rate of 149.94 as an opener for Guyana Amazon Warriors to break down the door that was stopping him from wearing the West Indies maroon. A right-hand batsman who prefers hitting straight rather than square, the potential for King to make an impact in his first T20I series is massive. He’s a traditional stroke player, something missing among most of West Indies’ white-ball batsmen these days, and if he can get into his zone swiftly against Afghanistan, King has shown that the longer he stays in the middle, the more dangerous he gets.

Team news

There are plenty of youngsters in both squads, and with the T20 World Cup only 12 months away, expect a few new faces in the XIs. West Indies, however, will be without Nicholas Pooran, who was handed a four-match ban for ball tampering in the ODI series.Afghanistan (possible): 1 Hazratullah Zazai, 2 Ibrahim Zadran, 3 Javed Ahmadi, 4 Najibullah Zadran, 5 Asghar Afghan, 6 Gulbadin Naib, 7 Rashid Khan (capt), 8 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 9 Naveen-ul-Haq, 10 Sayed Shirzad, 11 Mujeeb Ur RahmanWest Indies (possible): 1 Lendl Simmons, 2 Evin Lewis, 3 Brandon King, 4 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 5 Sherfane Rutherford, 6 Kieron Pollard (capt), 7 Jason Holder, 8 Khary Pierre, 9 Hayden Walsh Jr, 10 Alzarri Joseph, 11 Sheldon Cottrell

Pitch and conditions

A bug invasion in the third ODI forced players to wear masks, and with the game being played under floodlights in Lucknow again, another attack can’t be ruled out. North India is now experiencing the onset of winter, and dew is expected to play a big role as the evening progresses. With both teams expected to field multiple spin bowlers, there could be an effect. The night sky in Lucknow is expected to be hazy, and some reports suggest that the air quality could be hazardous.

Stats and trivia

• West Indies will become the first team to play two T20Is at Lucknow’s Ekana Stadium, having played in the ground’s inaugural match against India in November 2018.
• Afghanistan’s spin bowlers have conceded 7.87 runs per over in 2019, but average more than six wickets per game for the side.
• Less than 12 months ago, Hayden Walsh Jr was playing for USA

Glamorgan will look to appoint a new director of cricket after Hugh Morris stepped down from his dual role in order to focus on his work as the club’s chief executive

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Oct-2018Glamorgan will look to appoint a new director of cricket after Hugh Morris stepped down from his dual role in order to focus on his work as the club’s chief executive.The potential change was one Morris flagged in advance when commissioning an external review of Glamorgan’s season. The Welsh county finished bottom of Division Two of the Championship, winning just twice, and failed to make it out of the group stage in either the Vitality Blast or Royal London Cup.Morris returned to the county where he spent his playing career in 2014, having served as England’s managing director of cricket since 2007. The club will start its search for his successor immediately.Huw Bevan, who was strength and conditioning coach at the ECB during Morris’ time with England, conducted the independent review, which was presented to the Glamorgan board this week.”With the disappointing performances on the pitch this season and the need to spread my time more evenly across the business, it has been decided to split the chief executive and director of cricket roles at the club,” Morris said.”Next year we have four Cricket World Cup matches at Sophia Gardens, as well as an IT20 match, followed by the ECB’s new competition in 2020 and the new international calendar. We are also working with Cricket Wales on developing a strategy for cricket in Wales to grow the game across the country.”I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the position but this is the right time for myself and the club to bring in someone with a fresh perspective to lead the department and bring success to Glamorgan on the field.”

Yorkshire’s limited-overs captain Alex Lees announced his intention to drop himself barely a month into the job before the NatWest Blast tie against Nottinghamshire was abandoned because of rain

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jun-2016Yorkshire’s limited overs captain Alex Lees announced his intention to drop himself barely a month into the job before the NatWest Blast tie against Nottinghamshire was abandoned because of rain as the wettest June for years threatens to put a dampener on the competition.Less, the youngest professional to be appointed as a full-time Yorkshire captain since Lord Hawke, called his decision “a no brainer”.He said the decision was inevitable because of the availability of Root and Bairstow coupled with the form of Adam Lyth, who struck two Royal London Cup hundreds in successive days against Northants and Lancashire earlier this week.New Zealand’s captain Kane Williamson was put in charge before steady rain at Headingley denied the North Group’s bottom two sides the chance to lift their ailing NatWest T20 Blast campaigns in a match chock a block with England stars including Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root and Notts’ Alex Hales.”For me, it was a no-brainer,” said Lees. “Obviously Rooty and Jonny come back into the team, so two had to miss out there. Adam comes into the team. You can’t not play somebody who’s just scored back-to-back hundreds off 60 balls.”It’s just a gentle reminder to everyone that nobody’s bigger than this club and going forward, we want to put out the best team that we can.”Meanwhile, Yorkshire plan to pay tribute to Jo Cox MP, who was killed by an attacker in her Batley and Spen constituency on Thursday with a minute’s silence and the players wearing black armbands in their match against Derbyshire on Sunday.

Dav Whatmore, the Zimbabwe coach, says his side will need time and experience to start converting ability into performance

Liam Brickhill in Harare14-Jul-2015Dav Whatmore knows a thing or two about coaching struggling sides, and coaxing success out of whatever resources are at hand. He masterminded Sri Lanka’s World Cup win in 1996, and sparked a change in Bangladesh’s trajectory when he took over the coaching role there in 2003.He moved into his current position with Zimbabwe less than six weeks before the World Cup earlier this year, and was able to bring enjoyment and cohesion back into the team environment in remarkably quick time. Yet positive results haven’t been forthcoming, and on Tuesday Zimbabwe slipped to a 3-0 series defeat to India despite putting themselves into positions of dominance in all three matches.”That was a hugely disappointing effort in that first game. We honestly thought we should have won that. When you get so close, and you don’t, I think psychologically it becomes a little bit greater when you play the next one. We’ve got the potential, as you can see, we just need to transform our ability into performance, and that comes from here,” Whatmore said, pointing at his head.Though Whatmore prompted “a total 180 in the players’ mindsets” very quickly, according to former captain Brendan Taylor, he insists there is no quick fix for Zimbabwe’s issues.”It doesn’t happen like that,” Whatmore says, clicking his fingers to emphasise the point. “It never does. It takes a bit of time. If you look at the history of Zimbabwe cricket over the last four years, if you’ve done your research you’ll know that we’ve only played a handful of games. And to improve you need to go through certain situations more often. So hopefully boys will learn as quickly as possible, because we are now playing competition which we haven’t had in the past.”It’s okay to say ‘be patient with us’, it’s a cliche but I’m very pleased to have played these three games and we look forward very much to the future matches coming in this calendar year. And we look to improve. So please bear with us, we are trying really hard to get it right and we will need a bit more time. As other sides do.”Zimbabwe have been slightly surprised by the way these pitches have played, as ordinarily Harare Sports Club tracks ease out during the course of the day, particularly in winter. In this series, there has always been something on offer for the bowlers. They “briefly” considered batting first after Elton Chigumbura won his third toss in a row, Whatmore explained, “but this wicket generally gets a lot better than this. It’s sort of misbehaving a little more than what most of us thought. Generally speaking this wicket flattens out a little bit more, but it’s had some life in it right throughout.”India haven’t had it all their way in this series, slipping to 87 for 5 in the first match, losing 6 for 77 in the last 10 overs on Sunday, and wobbling at 82 for 4 today, but Zimbabwe were never able to land the killer blow and, as Whatmore admitted, “we’ve let them off the hook a couple of times”.The problem, for Chigumbura, is a lack of ruthlessness.”It’s just about being ruthless,” he said. “You tend to relax when you are on top, or sometimes some guys realise we’re on top. And also because of not playing many games regularly. I think the more we play the more we could quickly learn from these mistakes.”We need to dig deep when we get into these situations. I think that’s where we’re lacking. We always get into a good position, in almost every series that we play we’ll get one or two chances that we can take with both hands and win the game, but we don’t.”Zimbabwe have a quick turnaround in which to try to set things right before the Twenty20 series starts on Friday, but they can also look forward to an unusually full schedule in the months to come. With a little luck and a lot of hard work, particularly on the psychological aspect of their game, Zimbabwe could yet be another of Whatmore’s success stories.

Stephen Fleming’s success as Chennai Super Kings coach stems from his uncomplicated approach to utilise individual strengths of the members of his team

Firdose Moonda13-Oct-2012Stephen Fleming has confirmed that he has no ambitions of coaching at the international level, despite his success with the Chennai Super Kings. Fleming has taken the team to three trophies – two IPL titles and one Champions League win – and has formed a strong partnership with Indian captain MS Dhoni, but has no desire to extend that any further.”I get my cricket fix doing this,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “And then I am just enjoying living a normal life. With all the travelling I did as a player, it’s nice to just have a normal life. It’s great to be able to do this for a few weeks a year but that is it.”Fleming’s decision will be a loss to the coaching fraternity, especially as he is regarded as one of the most astute men in the job. His players, like Faf du Plessis, describe him as authoritative but not dictatorial, and helpfully instructive without being overbearing.That much was on display during the team’s arrival press conference in Johannesburg. A question was asked to the table on the way Dhoni thought about R Ashwin and Fleming allowed S Badrinath to answer instead of him. “He has confidence in Ashwin to bowl in the Powerplays. Ashwin has also been bowling a few new balls with a new action. He comes up with something new every day, so to have a guy like him in the team gives more options to the captain,” Badrinath said.”Very good, that’s absolutely right,” Fleming told him and added nothing to the assessment. Badrinath is not a youngster and as one of the core members of the squad was thought more than capable of handling questions over their strategy. The smile that crept over Fleming’s face spoke of his satisfaction that the players are capable of holding their own.Fleming’s philosophy lies in relying on individual strengths rather than actively cultivating a team ethos. That is one of the reasons he has been able to bring the best out of someone like Albie Morkel, who is a CSK superstar but has not been able to replicate those performances at national level. Fleming explained that he has given Morkel certain reassurances that he does not have when playing for South Africa.”He is a bit more secure with us and a bit more in spotlight which may make him more comfortable with CSK in his role,” Fleming said. “When you have got a talented side like South Africa, they try different techniques and tactics all the way through and he may be searching a bit for his role within the side.”Having complete definition of what is expected of him has seen Morkel turn in far better performances, especially with the ball, for CSK. “He wants to be more consistent with the ball. He tends to be more inconsistent with the international stuff rather than with us,” Fleming said. “There will be a pressure aspect there, a composure aspect especially where he is searching more for that magic formula. When he comes back to us, he has that confidence and has those good thoughts again and performs well.”Morkel is of particular importance to this CSK campaign because he will also add an insider’s knowledge of conditions. “He also arranges golf brilliantly and [is] magnificent with safaris,” Fleming joked. “The biggest challenge is trying to find the right team for the conditions at this time of year so Albie will be useful to us in getting that right.”Bowlers are expected to have a good time on South Africa’s bouncy pitches which should even the contest between what is thought to be a batsmen’s game and them. “It was initially tailor-made for the batsmen, now the bowlers have improved a lot,” Michael Hussey, another CSK stalwart, said. “The onus over the next couple of years is for the batters to step up their game.”It is trends like those that Fleming has been so effective reading and preparing for. He has picked up on the nuances of a format that is seen as the caveman of cricket – without much subtlety – and has had success because of it. “The competition has got a bit tighter,” he said. “We are all looking for new ways to do things. But in saying that, there is a risk you can complicate things.” For now, simplifying them is as much as he wants from his coaching career.

A round-up of the third day of the third round of Pentangular Cup matches

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Feb-2012Punjab picked up their second win of the competition, inflicting a second straight defeat on Baluchistan at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Baluchistan began the day on 10 for 1, following on after being bowled out for 107. They put up a better effort with the bat the second time round, managing 260 but lost by an innings and 73 runs. Opener Bismillah Khan top-scored with 75 and wicketkeeper Gulraiz Sadaf chipped in with 64 down the order but Punjab kept striking at regular intervals. Seamers Mohammad Khalil and Prince Abbas shared five wickets, helping bowl out their opponents in 81.1 overs and sealing the win inside three days. Punjab now lead the table.Federal Areas tightened their grip over the contest against Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province at the Arbab Niaz Stadium in Peshawar. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa didn’t take too long to bowl out Federal Areas for 471 on the third day, having to pick up just three wickets. Their performance in the bat in the second innings improved significantly, but Federal Areas were still on top. Opener Yasir Hameed scored a century and added 101 with his partner Israrullah. Adnan Raees contributed 79 at No.5 and wicketkeeper Zulfiqar Jan remained unbeaten on 45 at the close. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa finished the day on 327 for 6, Hammad Azam striking twice late in the day. They were 61 runs ahead with four wickets in hand.

Sharda Ugra19-Aug-2011The Decision Review System (DRS), comprising the audio tracker and Hot Spot infra-red cameras, will be used for the first time in a bilateral series in India later this year. India had, till recently, strongly opposed the DRS but will now use the system in all 13 home international games before the tour of Australia in keeping with the ICC’s new guidelines that make it mandatory for Tests and ODIs.Warren Brennan, CEO of BBG Sports, which own the Hot Spot camera technology, confirmed that the BCCI had asked for the cameras to be set up in place for India’s home season. Brennan told ESPNcricinfo that four Hot Spot cameras would be in use for the five ODIs against England and three Tests against the West Indies, while two cameras would be in use during the five-match ODI series against the West Indies.During its annual conference in June, the ICC had made the DRS mandatory in Tests and ODIs with a minimum requirement of the audio tracker and infra red cameras. In its announcement, the ICC had, “unanimously recommended universal standards for the usage of technology in decision-making (Decision Review System) in all Test matches and ODIs subject to availability and commercial considerations.” The “availability and commercial considerations” were brought into play as the Hot Spot technology – the only infra-red cameras being used in cricket – is an expensive tool which must be paid for by the home boards and/or broadcasters. It is why the current Zimbabwe v Bangladesh series does not feature the DRS, with the two boards agreeing on not using it.

Hot Spot in South Africa

Brennan also confirmed that Hot Spot will be used for all international cricket in South Africa. ”We’ll be doing all of South Africa’s international cricket since they’ve just come on board, including the Australian series in October and the Sri Lankan series after Christmas,” he was quoted as saying by the . Australia play two Twenty20s, three ODIs and two Tests on the tour of South Africa. Against Sri Lanka, South Africa play three Tests and five ODIs.

The BCCI’s earlier objection to the DRS was based on its lack of belief in the reliability of the ball-tracker technology used in the DRS and the expenses involved in the Hot Spot cameras, which they pegged at US$60,000 per match, while estimates had it down to $5000 per day and a maximum of $25,000 per Test.Previously the mandatory requirements for the DRS were “clear stump mikes”, a Super Slo-Mo camera and ball-tracking technology. The new regulations have, however, left ball-tracker out of the mandatory requirements but incorporated the infra-red cameras.The acceptance and use of Hot Spot cameras will mark another step in the BCCI warming to the DRS. Hot Spot cameras were not used during the ICC World Cup earlier this year over issues of the speed of security clearances.

Ireland veteran Trent Johnston says the first-class structure needs to be in place before the country gets Test status

Brydon Coverdale in Bangalore03-Mar-2011The Ireland veteran Trent Johnston does not believe his country is ready for Test cricket despite Wednesday’s triumph over England, which he described as “the greatest performance that Irish cricket has ever put on”. However, Johnston said the Ireland team should be playing far more ODIs against the leading countries, and that they were spurred on by the ICC’s decision to cut the next World Cup to 10 teams.Johnston, 36, was captain of the Ireland side that upset Pakistan in the 2007 World Cup, but he said the win over England was a greater moment considering the size of the chase and the need to prove the Associates belong at the tournament. Ireland began with a fighting loss to Bangladesh and they are now a realistic chance to make the quarter-finals, but Johnston said talk of Test promotion was premature.”I think Test cricket is probably a good while away,” Johnston told ESPNcricinfo on the morning after Ireland’s win. “We need to get things set up back in Ireland, the infrastructure and first-class setup and that sort of stuff. But one-day cricket and Twenty20, definitely, I think we proved yesterday that we can mix it with those guys.”Without a World Cup in our season I’d say we’d play those guys two or three times a year, where we should be playing them 10 times a year. If we’re doing that then we’re beating Bangladesh in our first game because we know how to win those games. That’s a big factor for us and Warren Deutrom, our CEO, has got a massive job on his shoulders to try and get us into that programme.”Last year, Ireland played four one-day internationals against Test-playing sides, two in Belfast against Bangladesh and one each against Australia and West Indies. The previous year, a one-off ODI against England, which Ireland lost by just three runs, was their only 50-over exposure to a full-member country, and this year they are scheduled to play another ODI against England in Dublin in August.But it’s at the World Cup that Ireland have really made their mark, after their St Patrick’s Day triumph over Pakistan in 2007. In that tournament they also tied with Zimbabwe and in the Super Eights beat Bangladesh, but the Irish players could be watching the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand from a pub in Dublin, with pints of Guinness in hand.”We have to prove that we want to be at the top table, it spurs us on a little bit more,” Johnston said of the ICC’s decision to reduce the number of teams. “At the end of the day it’s a world game. It’s not just the elites that play at World Cups. I think we warrant our selection there and warrant being there. I think we proved that against Bangladesh and we proved it yesterday against England, and hopefully we can do the same against India.”We want to mix it with the big boys. We want to play those guys 10 or 20 times a year … We just go out there and enjoy each other’s success. I think that’s the biggest thing, we go out there as a team. Whether we go out and get flogged or we win comprehensively or we get over the line like we did last night, we enjoy each other’s success. That’s what it comes down to. We play for each other, and I honestly couldn’t say there’s too many teams in the World Cup could do that.”Johnston was speaking at the team hotel in Bangalore, where the Irish celebrations had lasted into the small hours of the morning after Kevin O’Brien’s record-breaking 50-ball century set up their three-wicket win. Phones were ringing all through the night, calls coming from friends and family back home, as well as a host of interview requests from Irish radio stations.And the success couldn’t have come at a better time for Ireland, a country that has struggled with a serious financial crisis over the past couple of years. At the same time, there has been plenty of support for a cricket team that has gone from being made up almost entirely of amateurs to now being a thoroughly professional outfit.”It’s been a tough 18 months or two years for Ireland,” Johnston said. “The economy is not doing so well and what have you, but sporting wise it gets the nation together. Yesterday would prove that. There were radio stations ringing left right and centre, and TV stations. It was just like four years ago, and that’s great. That’s one thing that we spoke about when we first came out here, was let’s try to lift a nation, let’s try to win a few games out here and it’s not all doom and gloom.”Four years ago we had two guys on central contracts and the rest of us were amateurs. Now we have 13. That makes a massive difference and we can only do that through sponsorship and great support and that sort of thing. The big thing is that it’s great for Irish cricket that we can get out there and perform on the world stage and put ourselves out there.”As long as the ICC lets them keep mixing it with the big boys.