Porterfield targeting Pakistan shock

Ireland captain William Porterfield believes his side still have a World Twenty20 shock left in them when they take on Pakistan today.

Porterfield’s men have taken heart from running Sri Lanka so close at Lord’s yesterday – they went down by just nine runs – in their bid to sign off the Super Eights in style.

The Irish, who knocked Pakistan out of the 2007 World Cup, still have the slimmest of hopes of progressing in this competition but it would take a landslide win this afternoon at the Oval and victory for Sri Lanka over New Zealand tomorrow.

That scenario is not being contemplated but Porterfield, one of three men to hit 31 in the failed pursuit of 145 against the Sri Lankans, said: “We came into the Super Eights targeting at least one win.

“We haven’t won a game yet and it is no motivation to knock someone out or keep someone in the tournament, we are just worried about what we do when we get on the pitch and we will be going out there to get a victory for ourselves.

“We will take positives from running a side like Sri Lanka so close.

“The way we have progressed game by game, we are really confident we can win.”

Wicketkeeper Niall O’Brien, undoubtedly Ireland’s player of the tournament, is a fitness doubt after aggravating his ankle injury during a 59-run opening stand with Porterfield at Lord’s.

“It’s unlikely,” said Porterfield, of O’Brien’s participation. “But if he is fit enough and willing to play he will play.”

Ireland scented the chance to throw Group F wide open at the halfway stage after Alex Cusack claimed four wickets to limit Sri Lanka’s total.

Their hopes of victory only receded when Northamptonshire’s O’Brien became the third of three wickets in two overs.

Porterfield paid tribute to his hobbling first-wicket ally when he said: “He’s a tough character, a great personality and just soldiers on.

“It did hamper him a bit but there was no chance of him asking for a runner because he came into the game with the injury.

“He didn’t even ask the question, it was never in his head, he just kept going.”

Ireland headed into the final five overs needing 54 runs but two wickets in as many balls by paceman Lasith Malinga further dented outside hopes.

Sri Lanka were indebted to their former captain Mahela Jayawardene, whose 78 elevated them to 144 for nine.

Having been rocked by the associate country, Jayawardene said: “In Twenty20 cricket you cannot underestimate any team because if you make mistakes it is quite difficult to come back into the game.”

Current captain Kumar Sangakkara, meanwhile, felt that O’Brien embodied the Irish spirit.

“It was a great performance,” Sangakkara said. “The way he kept was absolutely brilliant and he backed it up with some very good batting.

“It was unfortunate that he was struggling with an injury right throughout the tournament but I am sure that with the way he has played it is important for Ireland as a cricketing nation.”