Fancy a pint? Not a hope if you're Irish

Is it a sign of professionalism gone mad or evidence of mollycoddling taken to a new level? It’s difficult to know how to respond to the news that Ireland’s cricketers are being subjected to breathalyser tests, an Irish journalist learned a few days ago. Even non-alcoholic fizzy drinks have been banned and the coach, Phil Simmons, along with Ireland’s manager, Roy Torrens, have also joined in the non-party. Alcohol is not the most forgiving fluid, admittedly, but even in a coaching era that treats and analyses players like precious Formula 1 cars, this is a surprisingly bold move. It does reflect, however, how importantly Ireland’s coaching staff are taking this tournament; how crucial it is that they’re players perform at their maximum capability. Though surely there is a level of trust involved; I can't imagine most of these players would sink a crate of Castle after each game for the hell of it. Or would they? Their chief executive, Warren Deutrom, was none the wiser about the new policy.

"I didn’t know about it until last week, and it made me smile," he told Cricinfo. "It reminded me a lot of what Adi Birrell calls the one-percenters – those little details that make the difference in preparation. It strikes me as a really clever idea.

"After all, no-one will want to be the one to break it, so everyone will look out for each other, ensure that no-one will let each other down, that they’re all preparing as assiduously as each other, thereby bringing the team closer together."