Coming off the field at the Kensington Oval having been annihilated by Australia in 2007, senior members of Ireland's playing staff commented that the opposition were of “a level I've never experienced before.”

Certainly Andrew White can vouch for that sentiment having been receiving treatment at the time as a result of a Glenn McGrath delivery, the pace of which White wouldn't have been facing in his local leagues. Amidst the carnival atmosphere and Caribbean colour, I couldn't help ponder those comments, particularly given the pace with which Shaun Tait was bowling from the other end.

Could Ireland reach this level and if so, how long would it take? The challenge facing Irish cricket at the conclusion of the 2007 World Cup was to ensure that the memorable St Patrick's Day victory against Pakistan and other brave performances would become the norm. The victory against Bangladesh in the penultimate fixture certainly evidenced that there was more to come.

However, within weeks Ireland had suffered a number heavy defeats in the Friends Provident trophy against English county sides suggesting that perhaps hopes of more success on the world stage were still some way off. A tough decision was taken to withdraw from participating against English counties in future years as the powers that be within Irish cricket targeted more fixtures against established international sides and a platform on which to build a legacy for Irish cricket, not just one off memories.

Fast forward eight years. Much has changed both on and off the pitch and this World Cup gives the chance for Irish cricket to show that some of the doubts about the long term prospects of the team and indeed the sport on the island of Ireland were misplaced. Ireland enter their first game against the West Indies without experienced professionals such as Trent Johnston as well as the home-grown talents of Eoin Morgan and Boyd Rankin. Some of the more irritating comments following Ireland's 2007 success focused on the number of ‘foreign' players representing the side.

With Johnston, Dave Langford-Smith, Andre Botha (I still marvel at his outstanding figures on that famous St Patrick's Day at Sabina Park: 8-3-5-2) and Jeremy Bray being key members of the 2007 squad, some were guilty of ignoring the Irish-born talent emerging. Although Morgan had a poor World Cup, others were giving glimpses of their talent, not least current captain William Porterfield in his match winning innings against Bangladesh. The 2011 World Cup saw the emergence of the likes of Paul Stirling and George Dockrell but what will 2015 bring? Can Irish cricket show that the strategies put in place to ensure long-term success following 2007 have been successful?

The answer is undoubtedly, yes. The transition to allow Phil Simmons to take the reins from Adi Birrell was seamless and professionally executed. With Simmons still at the helm and the influential Roy Torrens still a figurehead behind the scenes, there has been the necessary consistency off the field to allow the fruits to appear on it. There can be no doubt that Ireland has been the leading Associate member since 2007 with a staggering record of success in both the four-day and limited overs formats of the game. Records have tumbled, Ireland have qualified for all major tournaments and the loss of key players to English counties has allowed the development of a squad, not just a team.

Ireland's current batting line up will be taken seriously by every team they face in the coming weeks. Openers Stirling and captain Porterfield can be destructive on their day, particularly Stirling when he gets in, although Porterfield showed on T20 finals day with Warwickshire that he is more than capable of producing the power and variation necessary at the top of the order.

With Ed Joyce, Gary Wilson and Niall O'Brien in next, there is no shortage of ability. O'Brien featured in 2007, his innings being crucial in the victory against Pakistan but Joyce was unavailable due to representing England and Wilson hadn't yet appeared on the international scene. Joyce has arguably been the stand out batsman on the English county scene over the past two seasons and England's hasty decision to discard him has certainly been Ireland's gain. Joyce brings so much to this Ireland side. He has genuine class, style, calmness at the crease and a wealth of experience.

But what of Wilson? He is now Surrey captain on the back of an excellent first half to the last English domestic season and has shown glimpses of his quality in Ireland colours, albeit not always in the 50 over format. I recall a match between Somerset and Ireland at Stormont in one of Wilson's first appearances. Kyle McCallan was discussing with those on the boundary about Wilson's talent and how far he could go in the game. This world cup offers Wilson the chance to show that his time has come.

The batting doesn't end at number five however. Ireland teams since 2007 have always been very well-balanced to include a number of all-rounders and a lengthy batting line up. For all the talented batsmen, this depth has certainly been needed on a number of occasions, not least in the recent warm up tournament against Scotland and Afghanistan in Dubai.

Kevin O'Brien will forever be remembered for his heroics in Bangalore in 2011 but having had a good season with the ball and improved the consistency in his batting, he is arguably a much better and dangerous all round cricketer than he was then. John Mooney and Alex Cusack played their part with the bat in that 2011 victory against England and Cusack's bowling record in particular in limited overs has regularly been a key feature of Ireland's successes.

Those names will be familiar to many, unlike that of Andrew Balbirnie. In a disjointed tour of New Zealand in the winter, Balbirnie grabbed his opportunity to stake his claim with both hands, producing a number of mature knocks and doing so consistently. Useful with the ball and having had a taste of life in the Middlesex first team, the next 12 months could be huge for the 24 year old Dubliner.

Andrew White will be disappointed to have lost his place in the squad but the emergence of Balbirnie bears testimony to the talent being produced through the work in the younger age brackets. White's inclusion would've been taken for granted not so long ago but such is the depth of emerging talent and competition for places that selectors now acknowledge having to make tougher decisions than ever before.

Despite the talented batsmen, more often than not it has been Ireland's bowling unit which has won matches. Quite often, the team relies on one or two good batting performances per innings and the consistency and regularity of runs being produced as a unit may be something Phil Simmons will be seeking to address. Trent Johnston's retirement and Boyd Rankin's decision to represent England left a void and on the field, this has been the biggest challenge to be overcome.

This current squad features the experienced Max Sorensen as well as newcomers Craig Young and Peter Chase. Young has always had the talent and spent time on Sussex's books but was very unfortunate with injuries in his time there to say the least. With Balbirnie, he has taken his chance without hesitation and so far, the loss of Johnston and Rankin hasn't been considerably noticeable at associate level. Young will take the new ball and the inclusion of Durham fast bowler Chase gives Ireland another option on what should be pacey southern hemisphere pitches. With Derry native Graeme McCarter knocking on the door and unlucky to be omitted, there is certainly healthy competition for places in the bowling department as well.

The spin bowling relies on the talented George Dockrell who took the wicket of Sachin Tendulkar in the 2011 World Cup. Dockrell perhaps hasn't featured for Somerset with the regularity he'd have liked but his performances in Ireland colours have been excellent and he has developed a knack of taking wickets at key times. Although his batting qualities are more suited to the longer version of the game, he's certainly no slouch.

Paul Stirling will be expected to bowl his share of overs and the tri-nations warm-up tournament gave several reasons as to why these overs will be crucial as Ireland aim to keep things tight and restrict opponents in the middle of the innings. Young Andrew McBrine makes the squad so there are certainly options at Simmons' disposal.

Fielding is the discipline which has allowed this Irish side to compete against the world's best. Outstanding displays in the field have been a feature of Irish successes since 2007, led by Porterfield, one of the world's best. If Ireland want to compete against test-playing nations on a consistent basis moving forward, this will need to be maintained.

Stirling, Dockrell, Young and Balbirnie are names which answer the question about whether or not Irish cricket would have a legacy from 2007. Players who were part of that squad and are still involved have improved and taken their opportunities with English counties. The result of the work and money put in to develop young players and the coaching at all levels has resulted in a side which can genuinely compete with any other nation on its day.

It is a side which is stronger than that assembled by Birrell in 2007 and one which leaves those questioning the ‘foreign' stars needing to find another angle for their sniping. In saying that, there is no doubt that Irish cricket owes a great deal to the roles of Johnston, Langford-Smith, Botha and Bray. Additionally, players such as Tim Murtagh who qualify and can strengthen the side should always be welcomed.

The sterling work of Warren Deutrom can not be ignored here. He was worked tirelessly to secure key sponsorship, regular fixtures against test playing nations and his vision and dreams are now being backed up by key individuals within the game not associated with Irish cricket, most recently Jason Gillespie, the former Australian test bowler who has led Yorkshire to an impressive County Championship this year.

Gillespie's comments have added to the momentum which is putting pressure on the ICC to give Ireland more opportunities at the top level and break through the perceived glass ceiling which has been a frustration for so long. In 2007, who could've imagined a sell-out crowd of 10,000 watching an international cricket match at Malahide? This fixture alone did much to impress ICC representatives in attendance not just on the field, but just as importantly, the organisation and professionalism off it.

The days of watching Ireland trying to avoid being humiliated by county sides are gone. It would take a brave pundit to refer to the current Ireland side as being ‘minnows' but the question now surrounds the next steps for the ICC. The announcement this week allowing Ireland and Afghanistan to compete more regularly against test-playing nations as a qualifying format for the 2019 World Cup is another step in the right direction.

The current World Cup offers this talented Irish side the opportunity to put further pressure on the ICC. The opening fixture against a West Indies side with a new captain and missing some established stars would seem crucial for Ireland's chances.

The players and coaching staff will be targeting progression from the group if not beyond and will be confident of achieving their objectives. These expectations are symbolic of where Irish cricket now sees itself and where it wants to be: not ‘minnows' feeding off scraps from the ICC, but a set-up capable of dining at the top table.