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ICC CRICKET WORLD CUPFebruary 8, 2015William PorterfieldAUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND Q. You've done so well in World Cups and on the world stage previously. How do you sort of put into perspective the challenge that you face this time around? I guess teams will know a lot more about you now. WILLIAM PORTERFIELD: Yeah, they obviously do. I think that's the world sport and the coverage you get and everything like that. As you said we've done reasonably well in previous World Cups, but it's going to be another challenge coming here. I think it's going to be completely different. And obviously the people say India's a tough place to come, but I think Australia's a step up again, so we're looking forward to it. Q. Tell us about your squad this time around. Do you think because you're more experienced, you're a stronger squad this time around? WILLIAM PORTERFIELD: I think it's a bigger play and using the experience from previous tournaments, I think. A few have come and gone since 2011, and we have fresh new faces since the first 2011 World Cup or since 2011, and we have a few lads in the squad that have been around since 2007. I think (No microphone). Q. When you play on the world stage and obviously almost you're structural or there is sort of a system of cricket that becomes highlighted. Do you see this as a very important tournament that you look to already? Not just for cricket, but playing on the world stage as well? WILLIAM PORTERFIELD: Yeah, definitely. As a player, it's very frustrating. We've talked about World Cups here. They're four years apart. We've played nine games against top teams since 2011. So nine games in four years is nothing really. It's frustrating from the players point of view to come to a World Cup and it's highlighted so much in terms of performances and how Irish cricket progresses. But there is a lot more that has to go on behind the scenes as far as I'm concerned. And playing nine games in four years against top sides isn't good enough from our point of view. We need to play more. We're guaranteed obviously six this time around, so to play six in a space of a few weeks and there is so much highlighted on that, it's frustrating from my point of view. Q. What will you represent as a success in this tournament? WILLIAM PORTERFIELD: Again, we've done that on previous occasions and different formats than World Cups. And in World Cups as well, that is the first and foremost goal to get through that and reassess from there. Once you get through your group and you have knockout games as well, so that's a priority for ourselves is getting in that top four. Q. You've always been a sort of underdog, if you like. That's not really the case now is it? Does that change things for you? WILLIAM PORTERFIELD: Not really. I think that that's a label not really bowlers on the side or the changing, it's not something we kind of look towards or talk about ourselves. But as I said before, I think everyone knows so much about each other, and I think there are quite a lot of guys playing on England, and everyone knows the likes of (No microphone) or John Mooney, there is no real secret to anything like that. So everyone knows what to expect from us and vice versa. So I don't really like the tag underdogs as such. I think anyone can win any game. There is no reason we can't do that in this tournament. Q. Is Irish cricket at a bit of a crossroads right now? WILLIAM PORTERFIELD: I wouldn't say crossroads. There are a lot of paths that are open to us. We've obviously a pathway to Test Cricket and there is opportunity through that. But as I said, it's just frustrating. We've obviously been weaker by the 12 teams and having the opportunity to qualify automatically for the World Cup is another kind of pathway to open for ourselves. But again, we have to play fixtures. If we play the same amount of fixtures we played in the last four years we have no chance because we're not going to qualify through nine games. Yeah, we need fixtures. We need that kind of support. Obviously, structure has to be there, which is there now, and there are a lot of things that have happened in the last few years, but six years is a big thing for ourselves as players. Q. What do you think the problem is for you guys? WILLIAM PORTERFIELD: I'm not sure. I can't put my finger on it. Obviously the people behind the board and the executives have done a fantastic job of organizing fixtures. But I guess the board agreed to play us, and we've got an open door to anyone. So I'm guessing teams aren't agreeing to play us. Q. Why do you think that might be? You have almost nothing to win. If they win, they kind of expect you to, if they lose, it's a bit embarrassing? WILLIAM PORTERFIELD: That's up to the individual content, I think. But if you ask players and teams around the world, I think they have no problem in playing us. I'm not asking for seven games fixtures against Australia or India or whatever. We've got to play the teams around us first and foremost and more often, which we're not getting, we're not getting that opportunity. And hopefully being in this top 12 or the thing now we'll get that opportunity, and that's what we need. Playing the ODI in the next 12 or 18 months or two years. If we get these fixtures, we have to to have these fixtures to qualify automatically. Q. Is this game still (No microphone) or do you need more extra success to kick it off? WILLIAM PORTERFIELD: I think in any major tournament we have to keep hitting big performances and to highlight where we are and where we're going. You look at all the participation numbers and things right from schools and clubs and there are more and more clubs coming up, and I think participation numbers have more than doubled in the last few years. Not sharing exact stats, but we've been reminded of that from executives on different occasions. So that's great to see the actual figures from our preview that the game is growing, and we are growing from strength to strength, so as long as that continues. Q. Just what is the perception of the World Cup back home? Do you have to do something special to capture the public imagination do you think? WILLIAM PORTERFIELD: I don't think we have to do something special. I think obviously the big talking point from the last World Cup in terms of back home was being angled and that is going to be across the board in any sport. It's something everyone looks forward to. But we have to put in the performances to keep up the popularity of the sport growing, but I also think that will help through games throughout the year as well and throughout our summer and our winter as opposed to just coming around to big tournaments and all the emphasis being put on that. Q. You're used to seeing your best players poached by England. What is your feeling when you see England in the World Cup being coached by guys all born and raised in Dublin? WILLIAM PORTERFIELD: It doesn't really bother me to be honest. As long as he's done a great job and had a great career, and he's gone to England, I think 2009 was the last time he played for us, so still six years ago. So he's moved on. We've moved on. It's great that someone from Ireland has shown we can go on and do those things. We don't want players to be leaving, and hopefully if everything happens potentially it can happen in the next few years and no one has to leave Ireland to make a living out of cricket or to move on to different things. If we can move on to ODIs, and the ODIs has become not necessarily full members but we get that support, and we also get Tests, then no one has to leave Ireland. Q. Is it almost a sign of how good Ireland are of producing players now that one of your own is captaining England in a World Cup? WILLIAM PORTERFIELD: Yeah, and obviously how much cricket he played in England as well. But he grew up with his roots in Ireland and he's moved on now. It's not something necessarily to be dwelling on. Obviously, now he's skipper and people ask a few questions, especially just before the World Cup. But he's been living in England now for the best part of 10, 12 years, so it's not something that really concerns anyone within our squad or anyone in the system. We're immensely proud that someone from Ireland has moved on, and has been as successful as he has been. But obviously looking from our point of view in the future, we want those players to be in Ireland and play in Ireland. Q. Now you obviously (No microphone). Who would you say your mainstay is? WILLIAM PORTERFIELD: Not really ties and games and such. But I think our first game, our first performance is our first game, and every game from then on is a two-point game. I think it would be wrong to try to tie the game. Every game is a must-win game. If we win enough games and we qualify, I won't be sitting on any teams or anything like that. I think on our day we're capable of beating anyone who can play really smart cricket. Q. Going back to (Indiscernible) has been playing to preparations, and obviously that's a big named sign to help in getting into the World Cup? WILLIAM PORTERFIELD: Yeah, it's obviously massive. He was there today as the first day's training with Bradley. Everyone knows who he is and what he has to offer. I think the seamers were champing at the bit just to pick his brains really. He was there and he was really hands on today with all the seamers in the net, so that's great for ourselves. Especially in these conditions in Australia and New Zealand, that's obviously massive as well. So, no, it's a great get for ourselves to get someone like Brad, and this week will be great to take as much as they can from him. Q. (No microphone) four years ago. Obviously that was a while ago, but even to this day, can you use that as an inspiration to show what you can achieve, almost players rising to the world stage, if you like? WILLIAM PORTERFIELD: Yeah, obviously, those mentioned are one of the big moments of the last World Cup. I think that obviously has to happen more regularly. I think in a regular business not such as World Cups, but anything that will happen, I know it will be happen, and playing more games, I think. If we're playing two games a year, that's not necessarily going to happen. If we're getting regular series and home and away throughout the year, then I think that will become a more regular occurrence. Q. In terms of finances and the World Cup in terms of generating money and interest for the game back in Ireland, how important is it? WILLIAM PORTERFIELD: I'm not sure that the implications of finances and things like that. But I know obviously if we do well out here, it's an ongoing process. As I said, getting those fixtures and having an income throughout the year as opposed to I'm not sure if we're going to make financially from the World Cup, I don't know. But I know if we have more fixtures and we're playing series at home, then we've got the potential to generate income and generate money through that. If we have those fixtures then obviously funding from the ICC and things like that becomes more important, and obviously we get a bit more of that. Obviously it's a question that probably Warren or someone from the board members could answer better. It's obviously a big thing. We know as players we're out here representing our country and representing cricket in Ireland as a whole. So we've got to get through those performances and get through the quarters, semis and finals, and put ourselves on the map. So it's a permanent fixture now. Q. There is a game coming back home in Ireland? WILLIAM PORTERFIELD: Yeah, I think over the last 10 or 12 years it's become increasingly popular. When I first started playing, when I got off the flight from England and came in and the taxi taking me from the airport he wouldn't know much necessarily about cricket, but the game's going so much anyone can hold a conversation about cricket and everyone knows about it, which is great to see. And that's happened over a relatively short period of time. It's crossing over into our communities in Ireland as well and it's spanning further west. So I think obviously the more we can hack into there as well, and hurling and sports like that, and get involved in the cricket side of things, the interchangeable skills are there, and I think the game's got a bright future if we can crack down on that market as well. Q. In terms of how long it might take before Irish players are involved in big bashes here in Australia. Do you think your guys have ambitions in that sort of area? WILLIAM PORTERFIELD: Most definitely. You have quite a few. (Indiscernible) is played in New Zealand, he's played in Bangladesh and things like that as well. Obviously, (Indiscernible) probably the most well known, and they practice here as well and has kicked on a game and throughout the world. So obviously the lads are ambitious to play in those competitions. But they need more exposure, and the opportunity to play in big performances on the world stage against some of the best teams, so to get the opportunity to do that and showcase their talents, I'm sure you'll see a lot more Irish players get picked up in the likes of those auctions. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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