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Kevin O’Brien: Ireland will look to adjust to conditions in Australia-New Zealand ahead of ICC World Cup 2015

Kevin O'Brien is one of the leading figures in Irish cricket as they aim to raise the bar ahead of World Cup.

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Kevin O'Brien © AFP
Kevin O’Brien… focussing on the ICC World Cup 2015 © AFP

Kevin O’Brien is the torchbearer of Ireland cricket. The big-hitting batsman has made a name for himself with his exploits and is now one of the leading figures in the Ireland side as they build for the ICC World Cup 2015. In a chat with Nishad Pai Vaidya, O’Brien looks back at his cricketing journey and also speaks about Ireland’s plans ahead of the World Cup.

Kevin O’Brien was destined to play cricket. The youngest of six siblings, O’Brien grew up in a household that was gripped by the sport even though Ireland was finding its feet in the world of cricket. His father Brendan played club cricket and was a veteran with the Ireland side. As a youngster, O’Brien played a lot of cricket in the backyard along with his elder brother Niall. Those ‘Tests’ would run for hours and were played with a lot of enthusiasm.

Little did they know then that the two brothers were to become a part of an Ireland side that broke into the big league. Today, he is one of the leading figures in Irish cricket as they aim to raise the bar during the ICC World Cup 2015. O’Brien looks back at the journey, one that has prepared him for bigger things. In many ways, he has been the torchbearer of Irish cricket.

O’Brien rose through the ranks and worked his way into the Ireland side. His first major outing was the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2004. “It was a great experience for me. It was an eye-opener being away from home at the age of 19. For a youngster, that tournament was a big learning curve. Our team had Boyd Rankin, Eoin Morgan, William Porterfield and Gary Wilson to name a few. It was very enjoyable to be in Bangladesh for that tournament,” he recalls. It was a largely successful event for O’Brien, with one of the highlights being an innings of 95 against West Indies under-19 that nearly won them the game.

With the berth in the ICC World Cup 2007 sealed, Ireland played their first One-Day International (ODI) in June 2006 against neighbours England. O’Brien says, “I made my debut in 2006, few months before the World Cup. It was a proud moment for me, wearing the green jersey of Ireland.”

Going into that tournament in the Caribbean, O’Brien was in good form. Ireland were tyros on the biggest stage and were an unknown quantity. But that shock victory against Pakistan changed things and the world took notice of the potential in Irish cricket. Things changed there and since then, Ireland have featured in all World T20s since 2009, where they made it through to the next round. Finally, there was also is that famous victory over England at Bangalore in 2011, where O’Brien dazzled with the fastest ton in World Cup history.

Kevin O'Brien (left) and his brother Niall celebrate Ireland's victory against England in the 2011 World Cup © Getty Images
Kevin O’Brien (left) and his brother Niall celebrate Ireland’s victory against England in the 2011 World Cup  © Getty Images

“I have been asked which victory is dearer to me for the last three years. The Pakistan game was the biggest one for us. No one knew about the Ireland team and it was our first global tournament. From fan and team point of view, the victory against Pakistan stands out. For me personally, I would say the England game obviously,” says O’Brien.

And why not? Chasing 328 for victory, Ireland were in dire straits at 111 for five in 24.2 overs. The game was gone! Not for O’Brien though. “I wasn’t thinking too much then. Of course, the situation did not look good at 111 for five. But, I decided to enjoy myself and play with freedom. I got a few boundaries and then carried on,” he explains. Smashing the 50-ball ton, O’Brien got his side back into the game, which they won by three-wickets in dramatic circumstances. This time, the world took notice of O’Brien’s big hitting abilities.

Since his younger days O’Brien has targeted the boundaries. In an Intercontinental Cup game against Kenya in 2008 he smashed 12 sixes against Kenya. It is a record for the most sixes in an innings by an Ireland batsman. “I have always been aggressive. I don’t know where it came from. I looked at some of the other players playing the big shots and then started to try the same myself,” O’Brien says.

Those performances have helped him play around the globe — O’Brien has featured in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). Like his teammates, he has also played in the county circuit. “It has been massive to play across the world. I have played in England and have got the opportunity to share the dressing room with some big names. It is a great opportunity and an honour to play around the globe and I try to put in as many match-winning performances as possible,” says O’Brien.

However, O’Brien is yet to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL). “I’d love to play in the IPL. I was in the auction but got overlooked. Right now, I am focused on the preparations for the World Cup in Australia. I am looking forward to the tournament.” And, Ireland are set to travel to Australia and New Zealand to build ahead of the World Cup. O’Brien says, “We are looking to get used to the conditions. Some of our players have played in Australia, but there are also some who haven’t. Over the next few weeks we would prepare for that tournament.”

Recently, O’Brien captained Ireland in the ODI series against Scotland. It was a young side with some of the known faces from the Ireland side missing in action. O’Brien’s side sealed the series quite comfortable and drew quite a few positives from that performance. “It was a good series. About five-six younger players came in. Craig Young performed very well with the ball. It was also great to have John Mooney back in the side,” says O’Brien.

Come the ICC World Cup 2015, all eyes would be on O’Brien when Ireland take the field. Given his exploits in the past, the fans would wait for an encore. However, this O’Brien is matured and calm, with a greater sense of responsibility for his country.

(Nishad Pai Vaidya is a Correspondent with CricketCountry and anchor for the site’s YouTube Channel. His Twitter handle is @nishad_44)

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