Irish cricket fans will have to travel abroad to catch most of the upcoming white-ball series against South Africa due to the country’s ongoing infrastructure limitations. Cricket Ireland, which attained Full Member status in 2017, lacks a permanent home ground, making temporary infrastructure a costly and impractical solution.
This isn’t the first time Ireland has faced this challenge. All six of their most recent men’s Tests, including their historic win against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi earlier this year, were held overseas. While a one-off Test against Zimbabwe is scheduled for Stormont in Belfast this July, financial and logistical obstacles forced the South Africa series relocation.
The revised schedule will see two ODIs and three T20Is played in Abu Dhabi from late September. Cricket Ireland is committed to maintaining a competitive schedule across formats. However, they acknowledge the need to address infrastructure constraints. This includes advocating for a permanent stadium to the Government and exploring creative solutions to increase hosting capacity in the short term.
One such solution is reviewing hosting arrangements and considering neutral venues for some home matches. This approach, already employed with South Africa, may be used for Australia’s postponed tour as well. Consequently, only four out of Ireland’s 20 home men’s internationals this year will be played on home soil, with three T20Is against Pakistan scheduled in Ireland next month.
Eleven matches from the Future Tours Programme have now been cancelled or postponed. Despite these challenges, Cricket Ireland remains dedicated to finding long-term solutions. They are actively exploring ways to optimize hosting arrangements and ensure a thriving future for cricket in Ireland.
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