World Cup Cocktail

Even if Ireland fail to make the quarter-finals of the cricket World Cup, they and the other associate members have shown enough promise to warrant inclusion in future tournaments, skipper William Porterfield said on Saturday.

The Irish, the only one of the four associates to beat a Test-playing nation at the 11th edition with wins over West Indies and Zimbabwe, can make the last eight by beating Pakistan in their Pool B finale in Adelaide on Sunday.

Even if they lose, a first victory for their associate colleagues, United Arab Emirates, over West Indies would send the Irish through.

But with the International Cricket Council controversially cutting the number of teams from 14 to 10 for the 2019 tournament, defeat for both UAE and Ireland on Sunday would probably mean a long wait for another World Cup chance.

"I think all teams in the competition have shown enough to justify a change in 2019," the 30-year-old, who was part of the Irish team that beat Pakistan at the 2007 World Cup, told reporters.

Shoaib Akhtar worried about Pakistan batting

Former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar has said that he is worried about the team's inconsistent batting ahead of its clash against giant-killers Ireland in a must-win final pool B league encounter of the cricket World Cup in Adelaide on Sunday.

The Misbah-ul-Haq-led side has won three out of five games. For Shoaib, Pakistan's batting effort will be key in the crucial clash in Adelaide.

"I am not worried about our bowling attack, it is our batting which I'm worried about ? Especially while chasing a target," Akhtar.

Lara bowled over by Kiwi schoolboy's kindness

West Indies legend Brian Lara was so impressed with a letter he received from an eight-year-old New Zealand boy that he popped into his school unannounced for an impromptu game of cricket.

The record-breaking left-hander was in New Zealand as a celebrity guest at the New Zealand Open golf tournament when he received a batch of welcome letters written by pupils at the Arrowtown school in Central Otago.

Lara said on Saturday he found the letter from young Hugh Hodgson - listing things he could do in the historic gold-mining town - was so touching, he decided to meet the youngster and his schoolmates.

"He sent me a very nice letter and, after a good day of golf yesterday, it put that extra smile on my face to read it at my hotel," Lara said.

"It was so nice of him and his classmates in Room 8 to write letters to myself and some of the other players. This is a great place and it only got better to have a welcome like that."

Hugh said he told Lara where to hire a gold pan and to "go to the river and find some gold".

Lara, who holds the record for the highest Test score with 400 not out against England in 2004, spent almost an hour at the school taking the children through warm-up drills before a game of cricket.

Hugh's classmate Sophie Rasmussen won bragging rights on the day and will go down in history as the eight-year-old girl who bowled out the great Brian Lara.

--Compiled