Irish eyes smiling?

By Paresh Soni
BBC Sport in Jamaica

All eyes in Ireland will be on their World Cup debut against Zimbabwe on Thursday. Or will they?

The Irish team, one of the better sided in the tier below the Test-playing nations, have been tipped to cause a shock against an inexperienced Zimbabwean team.

But will people be watching back home and what impact will the game have on interest in the sport in the Emerald Isle?

THE CAPTAIN AND COACH

Trent Johnston: "The response in Ireland has been amazing. There have been full spreads in the Independent and the Irish Times newspapers. Now it's up to us to keep that momentum going.

"We're here to promote Irish cricket and do the best we can.

Ireland captain Johnston and coach Birrell

"The way the media has accepted us has been fantastic. I may be Australian by birth but I will be a very proud man to captain them at Sabina Park and it will be a special moment in my life to lead the team out.

"We are really tuned in to what we need to do and If we play to our plan there is no reason why we can't win."

Adrian Birrell: "What has stood out for me is the passion and commitment the Irish people have shown for the game.

"I truly believe this is the start of something big.

"It will be an emotional moment for me and the culmination of a lot of hard work - the realisation of a dream. The media interest has been phenomenal and now it's up to us to maintain it. I believe we can."

THE MEDIA MAN

RTE's John Kenny

RTE radio commentator John Kenny - "The Irish team have only come into focus in the last couple of years after twice coming close to qualifying for the World Cup but when Birrell came in as coach things got serious.

"It's not a big sport in Ireland - maybe 12,000 people play it - but there's a fanatical following so the game will be a bit in the spotlight.

"People at home don't understand the rules and say it's very much an upper-class sport but that's changing and a lot of teams come from the working-class part of north Dublin.

"They could cause a surprise here having beaten the Windies in 2004.

"But this game falls in the middle of the Cheltenham Festival, which the Irish go in their thousands to.

"However, if they get a result against Zimbabwe it sets the tone for the whole tournament and creates a chance for qualifying but I don't think it will happen.

"The Irish soccer team gets a quarter of the population watching their matches but although there will be interest in the result and people will listen to our commentary I can't see that being repeated."

THE DOCUMENTARY MAKER

Documentary maker Paul Davey

Paul Davey, who has been following the team since they qualified for the tournament: "The cricket is not the main story, it's more the human angle behind what the guys are going through.

"Most of them have other jobs, cricket is just their passion and this is the pinnacle of their career - most of them won't be back here.

"For the ordinary person in the street it looks like it could have been them. I'm trying to help them get over the view that cricket is very much associated with Britain and I want to remove that stigma.

"The way the English were treated at Croke Park for the rugby game shows Ireland is changing so this is the perfect time for cricket."

THE FANS

Ireland fans Dunne, Murphy and Ferry

Eoghan Dunne, County Laois: "My interest in cricket only started two weeks ago but the enjoyment I had in the warm-up game against Pakistan was the most I've had in a long time.

"I also went to the Windies-Pakistan game and by the time the Windies started bowling I was starting to understand the rules and the excitement got going.

606: DEBATE Will Ireland beat Zimbabwe?

"It's a minority sport and hard for it to compete with Gaelic football and soccer but if we win (against Zimbabwe) there will be a greater awareness.

James Murphy, Kilkenny: "It doesn't matter if we win or lose, we're just here to enjoy it. I've been watching cricket for eight or nine years and love the game but that's hard in Ireland because people accuse you of trying to be an Englishman. Hopefully if we win it will stop some of that paranoia."

John Ferry, Donegal: "I got into it three and a half years ago when I went to Australia and lived there for a year and a half.

"There will be a party all night if Ireland win and another on Paddy's Day (on Saturday) if they win again but the view back home is that cricket is a game of Englishmen in white suits and they don't want to know about it.

"If we win, it would be a huge boost."

Paresh will be following the fans during the Ireland v Zimbabwe match