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Due to budgetary limitations, Ireland’s men’s cricket team has chosen to postpone their planned multi-format home series against Afghanistan. One Test, three ODIs, and three T20Is were scheduled for the series, which was a component of the ICC Men’s Future Tours Programme (FTP). As Ireland continues to deal with financial restraints while juggling a demanding international calendar, Cricket Ireland’s (CI) decision was solely financial and not political.
Despite Ireland becoming a Full Member of the ICC in 2017, the cancellation was made. The Irish team recently won their first Test match against Afghanistan in the United Arab Emirates in 2024. To far, they have played ten Test matches and hosted just two. Despite its expansion, physical constraints and the significant operating costs of staging a legitimate international series make financial viability difficult.
In order to maintain balanced investment across Cricket Ireland’s priorities and address immediate economic difficulties, CEO Warren Deutrom said the Afghanistan series had to be cancelled. He explained that the action had nothing to do with political matters, such as Australia and England’s decisions to forego playing cricket with Afghanistan on a bilateral basis because of human rights concerns.
“The scheduled series versus Afghanistan will not proceed due to financial constraints. In addition to meeting the Board’s duty to provide balanced investment across the organization’s strategic objectives, this decision is part of our management of short-term budgetary restrictions,” Deutrom stated, as reported by ESPNcricinfo.
Ireland will host a series of ODIs and T20Is against the West Indies.
Ireland has a full international schedule despite the cancellation of the Afghanistan series. In May and June, the men’s senior team will host the West Indies in an ODI and T20I series. In September, they will play England in their historic first-ever home T20I series.
In the meanwhile, the women’s squad will play against Bangladesh, Pakistan, and the West Indies in the 50-over World Cup qualifier in April. In addition, Zimbabwe Women will play a T20 series against Pakistan Women in August after touring Ireland in July.
In order to keep cricket matches between the two countries at the developing level, Ireland Wolves, the nation’s A-team, will play Afghanistan A in a series of matches in Abu Dhabi. In July, Ireland’s men’s squad will play alongside Scotland and the Netherlands in the European T20 Premier League.
The construction of a permanent international stadium in Dublin is anticipated to enhance the long-term financial stability of Irish cricket. The project, which was approved by the Irish government in August 2023 and is anticipated to be finished by 2028, aims to improve the national team’s readiness to co-host the 2030 ICC T20 World Cup with England and Scotland.
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