MOHALI, India (AP) — Ireland captain William Porterfield is banking on the huge influence of coach Phil Simmons and hoping all-rounder Trent Johnston is fit to help the World Cup surprise package pull off another shock when it faces West Indies tomorrow.

Porterfield said Simmons had played a massive role in Ireland’s recent rise and the ex-West Indies all-rounder would have inside information on his former team that could push Ireland closer to the quarterfinals.

Ireland is also waiting for news of the experienced Johnston, who bruised his right knee during Ireland’s promising performance last match against India and is in a race to be ready for the Group B matchup with West Indies at Mohali’s Punjab Cricket Association Stadium.

After its shock victory over England and battling losses to Bangladesh and India, Ireland needs to win two of its last three games — against West Indies, South Africa and Netherlands — for the chance of a place in the last eight.

It means the Irish will have to pull off at least one more major shock to keep an impressive World Cup campaign going — and Simmons was key to beating big teams, Porterfield said.

“Simmo’s (Simmons) been massive for ourselves,” the Ireland skipper told reporters on Thursday at the PCA Stadium. “Any big team we come up against he’s been massive. He picks up on the small things so quickly in terms of looking at opposition players.

“It’ll be no different (versus West Indies). He’s going to know a lot of their players.”

Johnston, meanwhile, has chipped in with crucial wickets in each of Ireland’s three group games so far, including the scalps of prodigious India opener Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir in the five-wicket loss in Bangalore.

But the veteran only managed five overs before pulling up with the knee problem — which still has him doubtful for the crucial West Indies tie.

Team spokesman Barry Chambers told The Associated Press on Thursday that scans had revealed no ligament damage and Johnston was “80 to 85 per cent fit.”

The Australia-born player — who has six wickets in three matches at the tournament to lead Ireland’s bowlers — would be assessed in the warmup before tomorrow’s game and the team was hopeful he would be play, Chambers said.