Sport

Cricket Ireland opt to postpone home series against Australia

Home series against South Africa will be held in the UAE while domestic T20 franchise competition will not be held in 2024

Ireland were due to host Australia this summer but that series has now been postponed. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA Wire
Ireland were due to host Australia this summer but that series has now been postponed. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA Wire
Nathan Johns
Thu Mar 07 2024 - 13:00

Ireland’s home series against Australia has been postponed by Cricket Ireland due to budgetary constraints.

Australia, the current World Cup champions, were due to be one of four men’s teams to tour Ireland this summer, according to the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) draft fixture schedule. However, for financial reasons, it is understood that the tour will not take place this year.

As well as the postponed tour, it is understood that this summer’s home series against South Africa will be held in the United Arab Emirates next October.

When asked for comment, a Cricket Ireland spokesman said that the schedule for the summer will be released on Friday, March 15th after next week’s ICC meeting has taken place.

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The spokesman confirmed that, alongside June’s T20 World Cup, there will be six series hosted by Cricket Ireland in 2024, three for the men’s side and three for the women’s.

Alongside Australia, Ireland men were due to host Pakistan, Zimbabwe and South Africa in 2024. With the country hosting its first Test match since 2018 when Zimbabwe will play in Stormont, Cricket Ireland are facing significant costs to host matches given the lack of a permanent stadium in this country.

Last year, a home series against Bangladesh was played in Chelmsford, while in 2022 South Africa were hosted in Bristol.

The T20 series vs Pakistan is likely to be held in Clontarf before this year’s World Cup in June. As well as the Zimbabwe Test match in Stormont, further white ball games are expected to be held in Bready.

Contrary to reports elsewhere, it is understood that a T20 tri-series between Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands is not taking place in Ireland, but instead in the Netherlands.

Ireland women will host England, Sri Lanka and the Netherlands with all games taking place in this country.

The domestic schedule, including the return of First Class domestic matches, is expected to be confirmed next week as well. Last week, Cricket Ireland announced contracts for First Class umpires.

A domestic T20 franchise competition, formerly called the Euro Slam, which has yet to take place despite plans first being announced in 2019, will not be held this summer.

Nathan Johns

Nathan Johns

Nathan Johns is an Irish Times journalist