End of a great adventure...

So that's about it. After four months non-stop cricket it's hard to believe it's finally come to an end. It's been the most amazing journey I could ever have imagined. So many mixed emotions are swirling around in my head. I'm happy to be going home and settling back into normal life, but I'm sad it's all over too. It'll take time for all this to sink in. Frankly, I'm not sure if it ever will.
I remember when we left Ireland in the first week of January. You can talk to reporters about your plans and hopes, but inside you have to be realistic. You don't think about beating the West Indies or about winning two games to get through to the Super 8s. You think "I've sold my house in Sydney. I've brought my family half-way across the world and for what? Three games of cricket?"

Now I sit back and see how it's all unfolded. I see the guys and how we've all grown together these last four months. I like to think we have developed as people and as cricketers. The day we left Jamaica for Guyana was the day all our lives changed. It was the day Irish cricket changed too and it has all been for the better. The sport has never had a better opportunity and we can't afford to waste it.

That's what makes it so exciting about going home. I can't wait to step off the flight in Dublin Airport and see what kind of reception we get. You hear stories from family and friends who have flown out to support us, but you can't really get a true sense of it when you are thousands of miles away. I'm curious to see what is happening at home, what kind of impact we have made there.

Naturally I'm happy that we're going home with a Super 8 victory to our name. We knew how important it was that we beat Bangladesh. When we had our team meeting on the night before the game we had the privilege of being addressed by Kevin Pietersen. He talked to us about the Bangladesh bowlers and gave us some hints on how to handle their spin. It was another nice memory to file away.

It was a nice touch from Kevin, something he didn't have to do. He'd tried to contact us before the game against Australia but Adi picked up the message too late. So then he said he'd speak to us before the Bangladesh game and we were only too happy to say yes. I doubt it is a mere coincidence that it was the best we played against spinners during the entire tournament, probably ever.

It's rare you get games that go so well to plan. We'd decided the night before that if we won the toss we'd choose to bat, even if that took a few people by surprise. We didn't want to let them in, post a score and then unleash their three spinners on us. We thought 'bugger that'. Let's get in there and do the hard yards. Survive the first 15 overs on a bouncy wicket and try and cash in towards the back end of the innings.
And that's exactly what we did. Ian Porterfield and Jeremy Bray set the win up for us. We reckoned once we got those 15 overs behind us we could get over 200, maybe push 230. To exceed 240 was fantastic. We knew then we could apply pressure on them. It was such a professional performance in all three disciplines. Our batting was good, our bowling was good and our fielding was first-class as it has been since we got here.

It was basically the perfect game, the best one-day match I've ever been involved in. I know people will look back at Pakistan and say that was the perfect game, but it wasn't. We bowled 30 extras that day. Against Bangladesh we were tighter and more disciplined and we managed to beat a team that has scared a few people in this World Cup and we did it comprehensively. It was a great day.

Against Sri Lanka, I think we were spent. When you're facing guys like Muralitharan with balls going this way and balls going that way you need to be fresh and razor sharp. One minute Jeremy is out there cruising along, we're 28-0. Then one over from Maharoof and we're 3 for 28. Not too many teams come back from that, especially when you see Murali warming up at mid-off, getting ready to bowl. You think "shit, now we've got to face this fella."

It's not that we weren't up for it but when push came to shove we came up short. At the end of the day we've been away for four months and that's going to take its toll. We put so much into beating Bangladesh that we were mentally and physically drained and had nothing left for Sri Lanka. It was our fourth game in nine days and that's a pretty punishing schedule.

It's been quite a ride. What happened to Bob Woolmer was a terrible tragedy, but apart from that I've savoured every second of it. I'll never forget travelling to Ochos Rios after the Pakistan game, getting off the bus and being able to move about two metres in 50 minutes. To have my wife and kids there along with my parents from Australia made it very special. For me that was the highlight. You can't buy moments like those.

The other day I spoke to the boys and told them they can head home with their heads held high. We didn't come here looking for respect from Holding or Atherton or any of the other guys who were knocking us. They have their opinions and they're entitled to them. For us it was about proving to ourselves that we belonged here and could mix it with the best.

I want the 14 guys out here with me to know they did a good job for Irish cricket and for themselves. They don't need to worry about what other people are saying.

And now it's strange to be sitting here in the Caribbean knowing we've got no cricket for another week at least. This is like our mini off-season. We're enjoying ourselves as much as we can. Four months is almost a full season and now we've another one coming. It's going to be long. It's going to be arduous. It's going to be a whole heap of things.

For the sake of Irish cricket, I just hope this is the beginning of something big rather than the end of a great adventure. Next Sunday we play Kent in our opening game in the Friends Provident Trophy and it feels like the first day of a new beginning. It's also my birthday so I like to think there'll be more than one reason to celebrate.

I suppose expectations will be higher now. People will expect us to win four or five games in a county season. I'm not sure they realise how difficult that will be, especially as we will be missing a few of our top players. But I can understand it too. When you beat the likes of Pakistan and Bangladesh, you've no choice but to start setting higher targets. It's up to us to deliver.

As of now, my own future is uncertain. I had a fantastic relationship with Adi and it will feel strange without him being there, but I'd like to think I have another two good years left in me, whether as captain or not, to help Ireland qualify for the next World Cup. Phil (Simmonds) is in charge now and I'll sit down and talk it over with him. He might want to bring new players in. I don't know. I'll have to sit down with Vanessa too. If she says it's time to pack it up and move on, then that's what I'll do.

That's the other side. There is life outside cricket. I feel I've done my bit for the game here, talking the talk, promoting it seven days a week. Right now I just want to be at home, strolling around Rathfarnham, looking around the shops, taking the kids to Eddie Rockets on a Friday night. I have to think about going back to work as well. Playing cricket for Ireland is a dream come true, but it doesn't pay too many mortgages.

It won't be that easy to escape, though. On Friday we'll all be appearing on the Late Late Show and I'm doing a book with Ger Siggins which has to be finished by the end of May. It will be called 'The Heroes of the Caribbean'. I think it has a nice ring to it.