Ireland's White 'living the dream'

Ireland all-rounder Andrew White admits he is fulfilling a "schoolboy dream" by playing in the World Cup.

Ireland face a tough World Cup bow in the Caribbean this month having been pitched in a group with hosts West Indies, Pakistan and Zimbabwe.

They step up their preparations with a warm-up match against South Africa in Trinidad on Monday.

Coming up against such strong Test nations, Ireland are not expected to make much of an impact but 26-year-old White is relishing the experience.

"We will go out with a smile on our faces, play with a bigger smile and hopefully return with the biggest smile of all," White wrote in his blog for the Cricket Europe website.

"We are after all going to take part in what can only be described by every player in the tournament as a schoolboy dream.

"The World Cup has since 1975 provided many of the finest memories in the game and launched the careers of many great players.

"Now all these years later the opportunity has arisen to become a part of this fantastic tournament for real."

Ireland play a second warm-up fixture against Canada on Thursday before beginning their campaign against Zimbabwe in Jamaica on March 15.

White has enjoyed the build-up to the event in Ireland and feels, whatever the success of the team, the game in the country should benefit considerably.

He is also unimpressed by comments from eminent former players such as Michael Holding and Michael Atherton, who have suggested the tournament could be devalued by the lesser nations.

White added: "Only now is the realisation sinking in that for the first time Ireland will take their place on the world stage.

"Some of cricket's great names have stated recently that there should be no place at the World Cup for the smaller nations.

"How sad and narrow-minded because how else is the game of cricket going to grow throughout the world if these countries are not given the exposure in which to demonstrate their talent and test themselves against the world's best?

"Cricket needs to develop beyond the 'big boys'. The impact the World Cup frenzy is having already in Ireland is incredible and the exposure which is to follow can only be good for grassroots cricket."

The tournament includes the 10 Test-playing nations plus Kenya, Scotland, Holland, Canada and Bermuda, as well as Ireland.