Ireland have earned respect with their plucky performances at the World Cup despite failing to qualify for the quarter-finals, coach Phil Simmons said on Thursday. "We need to play more games against big guys because they all have respect for us now," Simmons said on the eve his team's last match against the Netherlands at the Eden Gardens.
Both the sides are out of contention for a quarter-final berth, with Ireland having secured just two points and the Netherlands none after five games. But Ireland emerged the best of the non-Test-playing nations in the tournament as they pulled off a shock victory over England and gave a tough fight in their remaining matches.