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After winning the Tri-Series between Ireland, Scotland and Afghanistan in Dubai, coach Phil Simmons spoke to the ICC about the upcoming ICC World Cup.
With the team travelling back to Ireland today before heading out to Australia at the end of the month the excitement is really starting to build in the Irish cricket community.

“We’re just going to try and relax for this nine or ten days before we make our way down there and that’s what we’re looking forward to now.

“It is very exciting, all world cups are big but the 50 over World Cups are the biggest thing for us as a country, as a playing unit, everything, so we’re excited and we’re looking forward to it.”

Ireland will face some of the best teams in the world when in Australia and New Zealand, and containing those teams and finding a way to win those matches is something that motivates Simmons.

“So long as it’s one of the top six or eight teams, they have exciting players and they have players that can take the game away from you so, we need to find a way to win these games and that’s the exciting part for me.

“I think the biggest part is we go down there and we play exciting but proper cricket and make sure that all the things that we’ve practiced and all the things we work on – we execute them.”

Ireland have high hopes for this World Cup, and an exciting squad for the tournament that mixes youth and experience to not only give the best chance of winning in 2015, but also supporting the future of Irish cricket.

“The nice thing about the Irish team is we have quite a few guys under 25 and for me it all looks well for the future of Irish cricket and not just for this World Cup, but for the following World Cup in 2019, for the Twenty20 World Cup next year and all the things moving forward.

“It’s not just about this World Cup for them, it’s about the experience they’ll get from this World Cup even if they don’t play, but we’re looking for them to push for places too, that’s why they are in the squad.”

One of the biggest challenges for Ireland will be the conditions in Australia and New Zealand, and more specifically the types of pitch games will be played on.

“I think the challenge we have, and that’s why we went down there in September / October, is about the excessive bounce…I think that’s the biggest challenge.

“I think our mentality is up there with everybody else’s in that the way we play and the game and wanting to win every time, but so long as we can get over that part and know how we play and how we bowl on those wickets then we’ll get where we want to be.”

The fans will also play a big part of Ireland this time, with an ever growing army of supporters following the game, and the Irish team it is important that the team know how to respond.

“There’s a lot more people in Ireland and Irish people around the world, it’s for us to manage that and to know how to let that help us and push us to achieve what we want to achieve.”

Phil Simmons was talking to the ICC after Ireland won the recent Tri-Series held in the United Arab Emirates as the team prepare for the World Cup.

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