CRICKET: Despite the trials and tribulations of Mike Hendrick and Ken Rutherford, and the even greater demands on his namesake Augustine Birrell, Chief Secretary of State for Ireland at the time of the Easter Rising, Adrian (Adi) Birrell (it rhymes with "squirrel", he smiles), Ireland's new cricket coach, was in distinctly upbeat mode when he was wheeled out to meet the press at Clontarf CC in Castle Avenue yesterday.
"I'm very keen to get started and I'm very excited about the job and I'm very positive. I saw the players for the first time at a net session in Queen's University on Sunday and I think that there's something to work with," said Birrell.
"There's something to work on and there is also plenty to work with; the guys seem keen and receptive and I'm confident that I can exert a positive influence."
Birrell will be based in Dublin, in Malahide, for the three years of his contract, and will remain in Ireland throughout the off-season. He will be joined by his wife, Susan, who is a chartered accountant with a major international firm.
Birrell, 41, was born in Port Elizabeth and played all his cricket for Eastern Province. He played 45 first-class matches for Eastern Province as a leg-spinner and top-order batsman before turning to coaching. As coach, he has guided teams to the semi-finals and finals of South Africa's top limited overs competition. In his earlier career he was coach to the South Africa Under-19 squad which toured the West Indies in 1992.
On the domestic front, Birrell has also been very much to the forefront in developing cricket in the South African townships. He has played a major role in this activity, which is regarded as a vital aspect of the future of cricket in South Africa.
Already, he has ear-marked what he sees as a few key areas of concentration in Irish cricket.
"I'm going to be working hard on the fielding, on the fitness and running between the wickets; if you like, they are sort of quick-fixes which we can begin to work on right away. Obviously, batting and bowling and technique changes will take a lot longer.
"On top of that, I'm hoping to work individually with the players, technically and also mentally.
"The idea is to get the players prepared mentally for big matches, and obviously that is always going to be a difficult area. But with the national and provincial squads we will soon be able to make a start on that," he says.
Birrell's father, Harry, won a double blue for Oxford at cricket and rugby in the 1950s as a centre and a batsman. In 1953, he played with the Springbok wing Paul Johnstone on the team which drew 6-6 with Cambridge University. (Johnstone, as a matter of interest, played right wing on the touring South Africa side which defeated Ireland by 17-5 at Lansdowne Road on December 8th. 1951.)
Birrell will remain on in Ireland during the off-season. "I have ideas about coaching courses and so on - there are plenty ways of keeping yourself busy," he says.
