Cricket Ireland has decided to cancel the planned home series against Afghanistan this year due to financial constraints. This series was part of a busy summer schedule that already includes matches against England Men’s T20I team and Zimbabwe Women.
The international fixtures announced by Cricket Ireland on Tuesday include Women’s 50-over World Cup Qualifier matches in April. Ireland Women are also scheduled for warm-up games against West Indies and Bangladesh in Pakistan before the qualifiers.
Ireland Men are set to host West Indies for ODI and T20I series in May and June, and England Men will play their first-ever T20I series in Ireland in September.
While the Future Tours Program (FTP) included a Test match, three ODIs, and three T20Is against Afghanistan, all seven games have been cancelled. Cricket Ireland CEO Warren Deutrom stated that this decision was made for financial reasons, not political ones, despite similar actions taken by Australia and England regarding Afghanistan series. This comes after Human Rights Watch called for the ICC to suspend Afghanistan’s membership because of human rights concerns.
Deutrom explained that cancelling the Afghanistan series is part of managing short-term budget limitations and aligning with the board’s goal of balanced investment across the organization’s priorities.
Since becoming a Full Member of the ICC in 2017, Ireland has hosted only two of the ten Test matches they have played. They achieved their first Test win against Afghanistan in 2024 and have since won two more Tests against Zimbabwe.
Last year, Ireland hosted a ‘home’ series against South Africa in Abu Dhabi due to infrastructure limitations and the cost of temporary facilities in Ireland.
In August, the Irish Government approved the development of a permanent international cricket stadium and high-performance center in Dublin. The first phase, including a cricket oval and seating for 4,000, is expected to be completed by 2028, in preparation for Ireland co-hosting the 2030 T20 World Cup.
Deutrom also mentioned progress in planning for the new Dublin stadium and the 2030 T20 World Cup, as well as upcoming infrastructure investments across Ireland.
Ireland Wolves are scheduled to play Afghanistan A in Abu Dhabi next month, and Ireland Men will participate in the European T20 Premier League in July.
Zimbabwe Women will tour Ireland in July for T20Is and ODIs, and Pakistan Women will visit in August for T20s before the T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier.
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