From Railway to Eden Gardens via Rome

Dave Sihra (Substack - Dave Meets Ball)

In some ways Kevin O'Brien has been here before, but his current coaching roles are also part of a completely new chapter in the former Ireland player's journey.

Photo: Morris Paganotti

“Italy 2, Ireland 1”

That’s Kevin O’Brien’s prediction for the three-match T20I series between Ireland and Italy in Dubai ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
“Ultimately we’re looking to win. It would be great to take the series 2-1 or 3-0”. It is also Italy’s first series against a Full Member.

On his way to the tournament, the Assistant Coach for Italy has travelled to Rome to meet with the Italian Cricket Federation (Federazione Cricket Italiana) then join up with the team in Dubai as they get ready for their first ever Cricket World Cup.

O’Brien already has a few media engagements lined up but doesn’t mind squeezing in a few more. There’s something of a moment in the air.

In some ways Kevin O’Brien has been there before. There are some similarities which can be drawn between that 2007 Ireland team that went to their first World Cup and this Italy team also going to theirs but also some marked differences.

“This current Italian team are definitely in a similar position but there were more foundations in place to produce young players like myself, William Porterfield, Boyd Rankin, Kenny Carroll and Niall who were all in that 2007 side”.

Besides his coaching expertise, for a series like this there’s also all of the information Kevin will have on his former teammates. Remember he only retired from Ireland duty in 2022 and played his last international game at the 2021 T20 World Cup.

“Historically Ireland have always started off winter tours very slowly, so there’s definitely areas where we can really target and exploit in the first couple of games [of the series].

“We have a nice lead-in period into the series. I think it’s seven or eight days training out in Dubai. So our guys will be ready to go”.

During the T20 World Cup, Italy will play England, West Indies, Nepal and either Bangladesh or Scotland in Group C with the top two sides going through to the next round. They will play their opening game in India’s iconic Eden Gardens cricket stadium in Kolkata, West Bengal.

What are the goals for the Gli Azzurri?

“Well I think we’re looking at the four World Cup games and they’re certainly all games we could win. Yes we’re playing some bigger nations but ultimately some that can be inconsistent too”.

For Italy there’s focusing on everything ahead but of course getting to this World Cup has been a journey in and of itself.

At the Europe Regional Qualifier event in July last year, they famously beat Scotland by 12 runs to edge out Jersey on net run rate while also taking the Scots out of direct contention who themselves have appeared in eight World Cups across T20I and ODI cricket.

It’s that final step has definitely been the highlight so far in his time with Italy:
“There was all the emotion the guys spoke about before that qualifying tournament in our team meetings. They’re all playing for their grandparents and their parents. They’re playing for brothers and sisters. All of the players are really, really invested in the Italian side of their families and know the sacrifice that their grandparents and parents made to leave to go to maybe England, South Africa or Australia after the Second World War. So they’re all just very proud and honoured to be able to give back to Italian sport. The emotion on their faces after qualifying will live long in my memory”.

Italy of course has that widespread diaspora, much like Ireland. But it’s often traumatic events which historically launch those waves of emigration out into the world whether it’s economic hardship, poverty, discrimination, war, or all combined.

There’s something in there too about what a 20-team Cricket World Cup gives you. It’s teams with different stories all bringing something completely unique to enrich the sport and the tournament.

Besides his work with Italy, O’Brien also enjoyed a stint working with the West Indies last year when they toured Ireland which allowed him to provide some of his local expertise.

However his main gig during the Irish season has been as head coach of Railway Union CC Men’s First XI for the last three years, working with players such as Liam McCarthy, Philippe Le Roux and of course Rob O’Brien (17).

Rob of course has been turning heads at the current Under-19 World Cup in Namibia and Zimbabwe after he put in a very impressive display against Australia with a fluent 79.

Since making his senior debut at 14, the young left-handed batter has of course become the centre point of that Railway Union batting line up along with Le Roux. What’s it like working closely with his nephew?

“It’s been great seeing Rob develop. He works hard. He’s very hard on himself and he can get down quite quickly like most young players. So it’s just about trying to tell him to keep looking forward”.

How do you maintain that focus?

“Try to be a little bit better than you were yesterday whether that’s fitness, the mental side of the game, skills - because it all adds up to becoming an international cricketer”. Just keep progressing, keep developing.

It almost seems unique to have someone like Kevin O’Brien as Railway Union Head Coach working with his young nephew, but that’s sporting families for you. It’s Irish Cricket for you. There’s a very universal feeling to it.

“Cricket is a game that comes back and bites you if you think you’re bigger. It’s important to remember you were successful yesterday but today’s a new day and you start again on zero”.

O’Brien also coaches with Connacht who last year became affiliated as the fifth provincial union of Irish Cricket. There’s a family connection there too. Kevin’s father Brendan, who captained Ireland, was born in Galway.

There are changes afoot in senior Inter-Provincial cricket with the likely move to three teams instead of four - so no Munster Reds. O’Brien says he has been in conversations with Munster and North West Cricket Union about a three-team Atlantic Cup. Any opportunity to maximise cricket for Connacht.

However the main focus at the moment in this chapter will of course be the series against Ireland and Italy’s big World Cup debut at Eden Gardens.

This article was originally published on the Substack: Dave Meets Ball