Bangalore Brilliance, Maestro of Malahide: Kevin O’Brien’s legacy

O’Brien leaves the game as Ireland’s leading ODI wicket-taker, and the second-highest run-scorer for the team across the three official international formats.

A world record holder for his exploits at global tournaments, O’Brien was also somewhat of a pioneer back home, as a key player in Ireland’s move to ICC Full Membership and Test status.

Brilliance in Bangalore in all-time World Cup shock - Ireland v England, Bangalore, CWC 2011

With Ireland leaking 327 in the field and losing William Porterfield first ball in the chase, Ireland’s hopes of an upset looked lost, and the side were all but dead and buried when O’Brien walked out at 106/4, needing more than eight runs an over for the best part of 28 overs.

Gary Wilson fell five runs later, forcing O’Brien’s hand to go from the start. The right-hander looked in ominous touch early, though the English felt his luck would eventually run out. Unfortunately for them, it never did.

O’Brien almost teased England at times, exposing his stumps before slashing into the off-side. When he moved across, tempting the attack to fire in at his pads, O’Brien swept and flicked through square-leg and mid-wicket.

Slogging Graeme Swann into the stand, unnerving Stuart Broad and answering every question thrown at him by Andrew Strauss, O'Brien didn't take the foot off the gas. On the front foot in the contest, O'Brien and Alex Cusack then took the Powerplay early, making Strauss and his team sweat a little more.

Crunching Michael Yardy's left-arm orthodox, hitting inside-out cover drives off Tim Bresnan, O'Brien flourished in what proved to be a career-changing day. Paul Collingwood couldn't stop the bleeding when employed to bowl, and O'Brien nursed Yardy into the leg-side one more time to smash the record for the fastest World Cup hundred by a staggering 16 deliveries.

O'Brien fell 11 short of the target, though the hero had done more than enough for Ireland to claim a famous win, as John Mooney and Trent Johnston snuck home with five balls to spare.

Honing red-ball craft well before Test status - Kenya v Ireland, Intercontinental Cup, Nairobi, 2008

Long before Ireland’s Test debut ten years later, Ireland were powerhouses in the Intercontinental Cup, a First-Class competition featuring the best in the emerging game.

Ireland were four-time winners of the event staged seven times, building the credentials for their Full Member push.

O’Brien was a key member of the team, and it was concentration coupled with the power of the then-24-year-old that ensured the side’s place in the 2007/2008 final thanks to a century against Kenya in Nairobi.

More on O'Brien's retirement

It would have been easy for Kevin to rest on his laurels as he walked out to bat given brother Niall walked in the other direction with 135 to his name.

The younger sibling showed no mercy to his rivals though, blasting 12 sixes (the most in an innings in the competition’s history) and seven fours in a knock of 171* from just 215 balls.

Ireland posted 578/4 declared and went on to bowl Kenya out twice to claim an innings win.

The Maestro of Malahide - Ireland's inaugural Test match v Pakistan, Dublin, 2018

Fast-forward to their first ever Test match, it was once again O’Brien to step up.

Rain ruined day one in Malahide, and tourists Pakistan moved firmly into the ascendancy on days two and three, having forced their hosts to follow on.

Day four belonged to the man who had so often shown up when the chips were down, with a knock that took the team from fighting to keep the Test alive, to handing an outside chance of a famous come-from-behind win.

Walking out at 95/4, O’Brien lost Paul Stirling and Gary Wilson, only to find a partner in Stuart Thompson at No.8.

Keeping the bigger shots in the kitbag, O’Brien was measured and gritty in his refusal to lay down. He and Thompson put on 114, with another 50 runs added with Tyrone Kane

The knock remains Ireland’s only Test century to this point.

The late tilt at Trent Bridge - Ireland v Bangladesh, T20 World Cup 2009, Trent Bridge

With O’Brien’s incredible ODI exploits in mind, it took little for the aggressor to adapt to the shorter format.

Chasing 138 on a Trent Bridge surface that Bangladesh found tricky, Kevin and brother Niall stuck to their guns. Niall made a 25-ball 40 to set up the chase, and Kevin's blitz quashed any doubt. Hitting three fours and as many sixes, the younger O'Brien finished with 39* off just 17 deliveries, winning the match in the penultimate over.

The win helped Ireland progress to the Super 8 stage of the competition, their best finish in the tournament's history.

A stunning first impression (with the ball!) - Ireland v England, Belfast, 2006

Known for his aggression and flair with the bat, it’d be fair to describe O’Brien’s bowling as more measured.

That said, it didn’t mean O’Brien didn’t make an impression with the ball - quite the opposite in fact - when he was brought on in his first ODI.

Dismissing Andrew Strauss after the left-hander’s wayward hook shot fell into the hands of Andrew White, O’Brien became the 16th man to take a wicket with his first ball in the format.

The right-armer went on to take 114 ODI wickets in the format, at an average of a tick over thirty.