Ireland call off Afghanistan series
Ireland and Afghanistan had been due to play four matches this summer. Photo: CRICKET IRELAND/FILE
Ireland have shelved plans to host a multi-format series against Afghanistan this year for "financial reasons" in a busy summer schedule which includes historic tours by England Men's T20I side and Zimbabwe Women.
Cricket Ireland released their international fixtures on Tuesday, including Women's 50-over World Cup Qualifying matches against Pakistan, West Indies, Bangladesh, Thailand and Scotland between April 9-18.
It also listed warm-up games for Ireland Women against West Indies and Bangladesh in Pakistan on April 5 and 7 respectively, ahead of their bid to reach the tournament for the first time since 2005, although the ICC is yet to confirm dates and venues for the Qualifiers.
Ireland Men will host West Indies in ODI and T20I series in May and June respectively, while England Men will play their first T20I series in Ireland in September, comprising three matches.
According to the Men's Future Tours Program (FTP), Ireland were due to play a Test against Afghanistan as well as three ODIs and three T20Is. However, all seven matches have been cancelled and, though this follows the example of Australia and England in not playing bilateral series against Afghanistan, Warren Deutrom, Cricket Ireland chief executive, insisted it was for financial not political reasons. Earlier this week, it was revealed that Human Rights Watch had called for Afghanistan's ICC membership to be suspended for human rights abuses.
"One planned series that won't go ahead for financial reasons is against Afghanistan," Deutrom said. "This decision is part of our management of short-term budgetary constraints, as well as our requirement to comply with the Board's mandate to deliver balanced investment across the organisation's strategic objectives."
Ireland have only hosted two of the 10 Tests they have played since becoming Full Members of the ICC in 2017. They secured their maiden win in the format against Afghanistan in the UAE in 2024 then won two more Tests against Zimbabwe, at home last year and away last month.
World Cup Qualifiers
Cricket Ireland on Tuesday, announced its national women's team's matches schedule for the ICC Women's World Cup 2025 Qualifiers, set to be played in Pakistan.
After the successful hosting of the ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025, Pakistan are reportedly set to host another ICC tournament – the Women's World Cup Qualifiers – sources told Geo News last month.
Although no official announcement has been made thus far by the apex cricketing body regarding the qualifying tournament, Cricket Ireland has listed the match schedule of its women's team.
As per the schedule, Ireland Women will play two warm-up matches ahead of the Qualifiers against West Indies and Bangladesh on April 5 and 7 respectively and will then formally kick off their campaign against hosts Pakistan on April.
Ireland will then take on West Indies, Bangladesh, Thailand and Scotland in respective league-stage matches on April 11, 13, 15 and 18 respectively.
According to the details, the qualifying event will be held in different cities of Pakistan ahead of the mega event, set to be played in India later this year.
A total of six teams will participate in the qualifiers, including Bangladesh, Ireland, Scotland, Thailand and West Indies and hosts Pakistan.
The finalists of the qualifying event will join the top six teams of the ICC Women's Championship 2022-25 for the eight-team World Cup.
Schedule
5 April: Warm-up v West Indies Women
7 April: Warm-up v Bangladesh Women
9 April: Ireland Women v Pakistan Women
11 April: Ireland Women v West Indies Women
13 April: Ireland Women v Bangladesh Women
15 April: Ireland Women v Thailand Women
18 April: Ireland Women v Scotland Women.
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