It has not been a good week for Irish Cricket, with the women failing to qualify for their World Cup and our under 19 boys losing their three group games in KL. This left us on the road to Johor, for a difficult game versus the West Indies in the first round of the Plate competition.

Since joining the Under 19s here in Malaysia, I have seen enough talent to suggest that this team are still waiting to click and that there will be a good performance around the corner. Having only played four warm-up games in total against mixed opposition, in comparison to England who had played 11 internationals in the subcontinent this year, it is a steep learning curve for all.

The team is coached by Brian O’Rourke and assisted by former Irish fast bowler Ryan Eagleson. Brian has been working with these guys for a long time and has really brought their skill levels up. It has been my job to assist with hands on coaching support in the nets and to tag and analyse all the video from our games and work with some technical footage from nets. It is a new experience for the guys to have their games recorded and be able to view and review. The experience has been well received by all.

So far I have made a couple of movies, to highlight our positives and keep everyone motivated. While we have also looked at some areas of our game that need improving, such as trying to improve our stats in terms of scoring balls to non-scoring balls and strike rotation. One of my jobs has also been to beg, borrow and steal as much footage of our opposition as possible and to analyse and edit it, so that we come up with game plans against our opposition.

Against the West Indies, we saw a couple of good partnerships involving James Hall, James Shannon and Shane Gethkgate, this was something we had been lacking, and we posted a total of 155. The West Indies, looked to get it over quickly, with some powerful batting. On another day it may have been closer, but they got home chancing their arm a bit, three wickets down in the end.

It is an amazing life experience for the guys, seven of whom are underage for the next World Cup. They have experienced a range of conditions and environments, first during a week in India, then Kuala Lumpur and the luxury of Sunway Hotel with its shopping mall and theme parks, and now down in south Malaysia in busy Johor.

The heat and humidity has been another factor. If I’m doing a drill, I end up dripping with sweat. So I can’t imagine what it is like playing in this. One of our players, Ben Ackland, ended up in hospital with heat stroke and as I write this, I am suffering from similar unpleasant symptoms.

From a video analysis side of things, I also work with Phil Simmons, our national coach, as assistant coach and video analyst. With Phil unable to be here, due to his commitments with the senior squad, who I join on an Asian tour next week, this creates a vital way of reporting to Phil, the talent we have coming through. And if some of the young internationals from the opposition make their national teams in the near future, I will have video on them, to give us an idea of what to expect.

A number of these U19 players will have opportunities, if they work hard to replace some of the more experienced players in the next couple of years. We currently have two from here who will travel to Dubai with me, Paul Stirling, an attacking opening bat, who smashed New Zealand around the park and Greg Thompson, our captain and leg spinning all rounder.

I hope that in the near future, I will be able to start videoing our underage Irish teams too. This will create a database of emerging players from a talent identification and player development basis, searching for the next Eoin Morgan, Niall O’Brien or strapping pace bowler like Boyd Rankin.

I owe many thanks, as do all associate nations, to Richard Done and his high performance team, who are trying to influence change and give the associates the best chance possible of beating the Test teams, thus creating a more global competitive cricket environment. All associates have or will have been trained and updated in the new use of a match analysis system known as 20/20, that is currently being used by India.

Finally I’m sure Ireland can win their last two matches here in Johor and equal the last tournament’s position of 13th place. I will be packing my bags again and heading for Dubai with the senior team, followed by a tough tour and three ODIs against Bangladesh. Like everybody, I miss home and especially my nephew, Jack, but what an experience and way to see the world. You never know what is around the next corner; my life is full of surprises.

To summarise video analysis, pictures speak louder than words and it is all part of the self-discovery required by an elite cricketer.