By Paresh Soni BBC Sport in Grenada

William Porterfield (right) embraces Adrian Birrell in Grenada

Outgoing Ireland coach Adrian Birrell says the team should play more games outside the county season.

The Irish finished the World Cup campaign with an eight-wicket defeat by Sri Lanka but that came after memorable wins over Pakistan and Bangladesh.

They will play in the one-day county competition, the Friends Provident Trophy, without several key players.

"We're never at full strength because three or four of our best players are with their counties," Birrell said.

The Irish will be missing the likes of Derbyshire's Boyd Rankin and Middlesex's Eoin Morgan in the 50-over tournament and it is possible that counties may attempt to snap up other members of Birrell's squad.

"It's a tricky one because on the one hand you want to piggy-back the counties with the professional game and on the other hand you want all your players available for every match and I don't see another solution."

There has to be a strategic decision from the Irish Cricket Union to hold on to their players. Adrian Birrell

Birrell believes playing in warmer climes between September and April must be the way ahead for Ireland, and feels their new status as one of the 12 teams in the official one-day rankings could help.

"You'd play Intercontinental Cup games out of season and possibly with this new ranking system play the likes of Zimbabwe in their season," he explained.

"With the new status we have it might be easier to get those players released but at the end of the day the counties pay their wages."

South African Birrell is returning home after five years at the helm and he believes the Irish Cricket Union needs to capitalise on the team's success in the Caribbean by doing more to prevent good young players moving to and trying to qualify for England.

Ed Joyce helped Ireland reach the World Cup but then played in it for England, while wicket-keeper Niall O'Brien intends to follow a similar route.

"Players who are ambitious will want to play cricket at the highest level - ie Test cricket - and it will be hard to stop those players," he said.

"But I do think there has to be a strategic decision from the Irish Cricket Union to hold on to their players. Making them semi or fully professional is a route.

"But this is all new, we've only recently got into the Super 8s and the world rankings so all of these problems are good problems to have and I'm sure the ICU will be attending to that very seriously."

I don't know if I'm going to go on - it might be my last game Trent Johnston

Captain Trent Johnston is not sure if he will continue his international career, although he is tempted by the prospect of working with new coach Phil Simmons.

The Australian also feels more success can be achieved if the ICU can hold on to the best in Irish talent.

"There are good young kids coming through. The big thing for us would be to hang on to those kids and not let them go off to county cricket. That is something down the track we're going to have to look to do," said Johnston.

"The way we've performed here we're going to have a lot more games against high-profile teams and that's only going to improve Irish cricket.

"I don't know if Phil Simmons wants me to be a part of it and I don't know if I'm going to go on - it might be my last game.

"I'm going to talk with my family and see what's going on. It's pretty hard to go on after a World Cup and seven weeks like this.

"But Phil has a fantastic calendar coming up - nine Friends Provident Trophy games, the Intercontinental Cup, a tri-series with West Indies and Holland, and talk of maybe playing India and South Africa."