TO LOSE badly is one thing, but to feel you have been disrespected is another.

Ireland cricketers were still seething in Sri Lanka yesterday after their five wicket defeat to Australia in the ICC World Twenty20.

"The Aussies were really pumped up for this game," one player told the Irish Daily Star yesterday.

"They came at us hard – both physically and verbally".

Australia is known as the home of "sledging", with its use as a tactic labelled by former captain Steve Waugh as "mental disintegration".

And the Aussies came at the Irish from the off at the Premadasa Stadium, with the umpires twice having to calm things down.

"They came at us quite aggressively yesterday, they were a bit rude and disrespectful to some of our players about some issues", the Irish player said.

"But the boys stood firm, puffed their chests out, looked them in the eye and fought back.

"That was really good to see.

"It's a bit of a compliment to Ireland that the Australians were so aggressive."

Coach Phil Simmons was disappointed with Ireland's display, but insists his team will be back to their best for the game against West Indies on Monday.

"We never have a problem lifting ourselves for an international", he said. "Losing three wickets within the first six overs didn't help the cause. And although we pulled it back in the middle, it was always going to be hard at the end.

"We didn't properly either, and didn't field as well as we could. It was just one of those days, let's hope it was the last of this tournament."