Don't count us out, says Irish captain

Ireland captain William Porterfield admitted hosts Bangladesh will start as favourites in Friday's World Cup match, but said his team should not be taken lightly.

"They are playing at home, so that is to be expected," Porterfield said when asked if the hosts were favoured to win the day-night clash at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium.

Porterfield dismissed his counterpart Shakib Al Hasan's warning that Ireland will struggle in spin-friendly conditions, saying his team was prepared to tackle any eventuality.

"We know what to expect," the Irish captain said. "Spin will obviously play a part in this World Cup and more so in Bangladesh, whose game plan is all about spin.

"But we feel we are ready. It has been a very good preparation for the tournament where the focus was obviously on playing spin.

"We want to put in a performance in the World Cup that will make people sit up and take notice again."

The leading non-Test nation stunned the cricketing world in the previous edition in 2007 when they knocked out Pakistan in the first round and then beat Bangladesh in the Super Eights round.

Porterfield refused to read too much into that success- and would also not be swayed by the 3-0 rout at Bangladesh's hands in Dhaka in 2008.

"The 2007 World Cup was a while ago, where conditions were different," he said. "The last time we played in Bangladesh, we were taken by surprise by the heat, the humidity and the spinners.

"But this time we will not be found wanting. There is a lot more preparation done and we have spent a week in Dhaka getting used to the conditions."

Ireland will be boosted by their two successive wins over Bangladesh in major events.

Besides beating Bangladesh by 74 runs in the 2007 World Cup, they also clinched a six-wicket win in the World Twenty20 in England in 2009.

Bangladesh cannot afford another defeat on Friday, having lost their opening match against India by 87 runs last Saturday, setting the stage for a keenly contested match.

Ireland's squad, which includes nine players from 2007, has been boosted by the presence of batsman Ed Joyce, who played 17 one-dayers for England before opting to turn out for the land of his birth.

Former West Indian batsman Phil Simmons, who now coaches Ireland, believed the current side was stronger than the one that played in the previous World Cup.

"The difference this time is that 13 of the 15 players earn their living from cricket, that's practically a full-time squad," said Simmons.

Added Porterfield: "We may have lost the surprise factor, because most teams know us better now. But we want to test ourselves against the best."