Ireland review: The best among the rest

If you would pick one Associate team to pose a serious challenge to the Test playing nations, it would have to be Ireland. Even though they failed to qualify for the knockouts, Ireland left ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 with their heads held high. They reiterated their reputation of being ready for bigger things but left the World Cup with a little bitterness thanks to ICC's decision to curtail the next World Cup to just 10-teams. For a few of the Irish players, this might have well been their last appearance in a World Cup.

Ireland were in the reckoning for a spot in the quarter-finals right until their last Group game against Pakistan. A loss in that crucial game meant that Ireland could not go through but that apart, this World Cup will count as Ireland's best outing in the biggest stage.

Record in World Cup - Played 6, Won 3, Lost 3

High point

It was definitely the win against West Indies in their first game of the tournament. More than the victory, the manner in which Ireland overhauled West Indies' 304 that was impressive. Paul Stirling, Ed Joyce and Niall O'Brien struck fifties as Ireland won by 4 wickets and 25 balls to spare. That signaled their intentions straightaway. Ireland were in the World Cup to compete with the bigger teams and not just filling numbers.

Low point

Their game against Pakistan was undoubtedly the biggest game for Ireland cricket. A win or a tie would have helped them create history by qualifying for the quarterfinals. Unfortunately Ireland's batsmen could only manage 237 after batting first. Pakistan won the game in a canter and Ireland were left heart-broken.

Captaincy verdict

William Porterfield was exemplary on and off the field. He led the way with the bat including a ton in the all-important game against Pakistan. The skipper instilled belief in his team and the rest followed suit. Off the field, Porterfield was equally vocal about the ICC's decision to change the format of the next World Cup. He was the voice of Ireland's displeasure and showed in every way that he was not just a captain but a leader in every sense of the word.

Most valuable player

The former England international Ed Joyce pulled his weight with two important knocks in the World Cup. His 67-ball 84 against West Indies and 112 against Zimbabwe were crucial to Ireland's success in both games. He also finished as the second-highest run-getter for his team behind Porterfield.

Major disappointment

After playing the leading role in Ireland's famous victory against England in the 2011 World Cup, Kevin O'Brien was definitely one to be watched out for. But the hard-hitting batsmen showed little of his capabilities in this edition. With just 131 runs at an average of 21, Kevin O'Brien fell way short of the expectations that he had set.

Verdict

Ireland's cricket journey has been on the upward graph right from their first appearance in 2007. In every edition they have showed a steady increase in quality with 2015 being their best until now. The biggest compliment for Ireland would be that teams no longer view them as pushovers but as serious competitors. Ireland's wins against bigger nations no longer come as major surprises and few were even of the view that their wins can no longer be termed as upsets. Ireland set out to prove that they will be competitive and have achieved that in fine style.