THE MAN WHO launched the Irish cricket revolution has recalled his “daunting” first days in the job.
Adrian Birrell led Ireland to their first big giantkilling — the historic St Patrick’s Day victory over Pakistan at the 2007 World Cup.
Ireland were floundering below Denmark in the official rankings when Birrell took over as head coach in 2002.
Now under his successor Phil Simmons, the country has experienced unprecedented success and is hammering down the ICC door for recognition as a full Test nation.
Birrell — who has returned home as assistant coach to the South African national team — said that he started out 12 years ago with just a kitbag and a mobile phone.
“I was put up in the Grand Hotel in Malahide for a couple of weeks while I found some place to rent,” he told The Slog Sweep podcast.
“[Irish Cricket Union secretary] John Wright got in contact with me and said I’ll meet you on 1 April in the foyer at 9am.
“I got myself ready thinking that I was going to meet the board and go to some big meeting. I got myself all dressed up and brought a briefcase with nothing in it.
“I was ready for my first introduction to Irish cricket — and we ended up having a cup of tea in front of the fire in the Grand Hotel.
He handed me keys for a car and cellphone, and I realised very quickly that the kitbag in the boot of the car was all I had to start my job with Irish cricket, and my cellphone was my office.
He added: “It was a bit daunting realising that I didn’t even have an office to go to. We used to meet on the promenade for a cup of tea and sit on the road, and it started from there.”
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Click here to listen to this week’s episode of The Slog Sweep, hosted by Mark Robinson and Andrew Leonard.
In this week’s visit to ‘Club Corner’, Kevin Hennessy from Limerick CC came into the studio for a chat about the hopes of getting Limerick back into Munster Division 1 and explains to us what the Crecora Cobras are all about!
We also hear from Barry Chambers, Ger Siggins and David Holmes in ‘Around the Games’, this week’s ‘Performance of the Week’, the O’Neills ‘Team of the Week’, #AlmostCricketLegend stories and much, much more.
