ICC Under19 Cricket World Cup Teams & Groups

Ireland Team Profile

The Irish side performed brilliantly at the U/19 CWC 2006, with Eoin Morgan scoring 338 runs at an average of 67.60 - he was the second highest run scorer in the tournament - with the undoubted highlight being a magnificent 124 off 126 balls against New Zealand.

However Morgan's efforts weren't quite enough to defeat New Zealand, despite Ireland registering a score of above 300. They also came perilously close to defeating England in the Group stages of the competition but eventually fell four runs short.

Captain Greg Thompson, who is appearing at his third ICC U/19 Cricket World Cup, will be a key player for the side and will look to use his experience of senior international cricket to boost their efforts.

Opening bowlers Gavin McKenna and Richard Keaveny, along with top order bat and off spin bowler James Hall, were also in the Ireland team at the last U/19 tournament in Sri Lanka in 2006 and along with Thompson are the most experienced players in the squad.

The team qualified for the event after excellent performances in the European qualifying tournament, where defeats of Denmark and Holland were followed by a tense decider against arch rivals Scotland.

Scotland, put into bat, recovered from a top order collapse to reach a competitive 157 in its 34 overs, with Calum MacLeod scoring 58 from 67 balls, while for Ireland Richard Keaveney, Graham McDonnell and Greg Thompson took three wickets each.

Ben Ackland stroked an unbeaten 71 and opener Chris Dougherty contributed a valuable 37 as the home team achieved its victory for the loss of four wickets, with thirteen balls to spare, after the target was revised to 150 in 32 overs under the Duckworth-Lewis method following bad weather.

The team has regularly practiced since the end of the domestic season in September under the watchful eye of coach Phil Simmons, who also oversees the senior side.

Irish coach Brian O' Rourke is happy with the composition of his squad. He says: "The players have been working hard in training, and are eagerly awaiting the start of the World Cup. The squad has a good blend of youth and experience, with four having played in Sri Lanka in 2006 and no fewer than seven players under the age of 17."

"We have a very strong batting line up, with Stirling and Dougherty being particularly impressive over the past few seasons. Ben Ackland has been over at Northants, while Graham Mc Donnell, Andrew Balbirnie, James Hall, James Shannon and Shane Getkate are all very talented players."

"We have plenty of options in the bowling department, and the squad is full of all-rounders. We are particularly strong in the spin department, which I feel will be crucial, given the type of pitches we are likely to encounter in Malaysia."