Porterfield Calls for Mental Resilience After Ireland's Shock Defeat to Oman

Disappointed Ireland Skipper William Porterfield says Ireland need to freshen up mentally as they prepare for two do or die matches in the 2016 T20 World Cup.

Having lost their opening match in a thriller to Oman today, Ireland now have to beat Bangladesh and The Netherlands, hope Oman lose at least one of their remaining two games and build up a sufficient run rate to top the table and qualify.

That may be a hard task following today's shock defeat. Porterfield said Ireland have done a lot of good things coming up to the tournament and came into the competition in a good place. And you you don't lose that overnight.

Barry Chambers: William bit of a shock result. Not the start we wanted?

William Porterfield: No far from it, the result anyway. It was very disappointing. Hard to take. But to a large extent it's still in our own hands. We've done a lot of good things coming into, before this first game. We didn't get it quite right today. But eh we've got to address that come Friday.

I think that's more mental than anything. We've done, as I said, a lot of good things before today. And if we get that right and come back fresh on Friday, then as long as Oman lose a game, then it's still in our own hands. It will come down to run rate. We've got to win two games. But that is what it is. And we're going to have to keep an eye on it.

Barry Chambers: Do you think the bowlers suffered from the pressure or was it the slippy ball?

William Porterfield: No I wouldn't say pressure. I think a lot of the lads had been there and done it in that scenario. And whether the ball was slipping for Max at the end, I'm not sure, if it was then you've got to let the Umpires know to change it. So that's not an issue for ourselves, it is dewy. We know that, we knew it was going to be the case anyway.

But we just didn't get it quite right in those last four or five overs. And look this is an area of the game we've done really well in over the last six weeks. So it's just an unfortunate time to get it wrong. Things go wrong in T20 Cricket. But the first game of the World Cup, it's unfortunate for ourselves that that's the time we did get it wrong. But look, as I said, it's going to be a mental thing to get that turned around and come back fresh on Friday. It's a big game. If we beat Bangladesh then it comes down to run rate if we beat Holland, if Oman manage to lose a game.

Barry Chambers: With hindsight would you have batted second or did the conditions change much if at all?

William Porterfield: No look I don't think it was going to, it was quite low anyway. And when I think of all their Spinners, and a quite low trajectory, it was only going to get lower again. So it was going to be harder to actually chase. At half time we were pleased with 150 plus. We said that from quite early with the low bounce that they were getting, it was going to be quite hard to get up to 150. I think it was a decent effort. And then they got off to a bit of a start with the bat. And we clawed it back very well from there.

And we'd have been favourites going into those last three or four overs. But they nicked a few and got a few away, and the lad down the back end played very well to get to thirty odd. And unfortunately these things happen. You've just got to come back strong Friday.

Barry Chambers: Can you lift the team now for Friday? I mean it's do or die now isn't it really?

William Porterfield: Yes, and we've been in positions like this before. We've been where we've lost the first game of a qualifiers and had to win ten games in eleven days. So look a lot of the team have been involved in that, over the years.

Look we've done some very, done a lot of good things. Coming into the competition we were in a very good space. And you don't just lose that overnight. So as I said we're just going to freshen up mentally more than anything, and have strong plans against Bangladesh, which we have the confidence to execute.