IRELAND are in fine shape for the start of an ICC Trophy campaign in Malaysia that could bring World Cup cricket to Dublin and Belfast in 1999.
With the exception of opener Alan Lewis, who has fractured a small bone at the end the little finger of his left hand, the Ireland squad are in good health and perhaps more importantly in what will be trying conditions, in excellent spirits.
Coach Mike Hendrick, not known as an optimist or for over using superlatives, described the mood in the Irish camp as "fantastic" following a week of warm up matches in Kuala Lumpur.
Ireland have four hurdles to clear if they are to finish in the top claim one of the places on offer to ICC associate members (the non Test playing nations) at the next World Cup finals to be hosted by England.
After opening games against Gibraltar and Israel that it would be wrong to describe as matches, the first challenge will be Thursday's game against the USA, who include former Test batsman Faoud Bacchus in their predominantly expatriate West Indian side.
While the ICC now insist on every team containing seven citizens in its line up, that is not the same as "native born" players, and the composition of the USA squad is attracting comments from opposing teams.
At the opening ceremony on Saturday night, one captain cheekily informed his Stars and Stripes bearing counterpart: "I had no idea Antigua was now part of the "USA".
Ireland complete their opening round matches next weekend with games against top seeds Kenya, and Singapore, needing to finish first or second in the group to qualify for the last eight.
The semi finalists will also be determined on round robin basis, so the second and third hurdles for Hendrick's team will be to win two games against three "quarter-final" opponents - possibly Holland, Bangladesh and Scotland. Then it's simply a matter of winning either a semi final, or the third placed play off on April 10th.
The benefits of qualifying to play with the big boys, both in exposure and finance, were highlighted by the appearance of the UAE, Kenya and Holland in last year's World Cup.
One imponderable, however, is the local weather, with cruel heat and humidity only relieved when the skies empty devastating amounts of rain with little or no warning. Either way, Ireland will want to finish off their lesser opponents quickly.
With defending champions UAE hit by a change to the residential rules, Kenya, who beat the West Indies on their World Cup debut, are clear favourites to better their runners up position when they hosted the last ICC Trophy in 1994.
Bangladesh, Bermuda and Holland will provide stem tests of how far Hendrick has advanced his charges, but Ireland, winners of the Triple Crown and European Championship in 1996, are clearly a better organised and far more confident team than on their ICC debut in Nairobi.
If they can rise to the top after three weeks, an added bonus is the likelihood of their early group games in the 1999 World Cup being scheduled on Irish soil.
