Photo Credit: Sportsfile
Ireland play in a one off-Test against England early in the next cycle of the ICC Men’s Future Tours Programme (FTP) for the period 2023-27 which will be followed with away tours of Zimbabwe and Afghanistan, as per details confirmed by the International Cricket Council (ICC) today.
The announcement of the FTP, a result of a collective effort of Full Members with ICC’s support, ensures certainty of cricket fixtures with the confirmation of all bilateral series across the three formats. The exact dates of the series are for the Members to announce in due course.
Ireland will also tour England for three ODIs before taking on Zimbabwe for one Test, three ODIs and three T20Is later in the year. January 2024 will then see Ireland tour Afghanistan for one Test, three ODIs and three T20Is, one of their four series against the Asian team during the five-year cycle.
Ireland, who gained Test status along with Afghanistan in 2017, will also play Tests against New Zealand and Zimbabwe while their other limited overs fixtures include those against Australia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the West Indies.
The announcement of the Men’s FTP comes a day after the first ever Women’s FTP was announced.
ICC GM of Cricket Wasim Khan said: “I’d like to thank our Members for the effort that has gone into creating this FTP for the next four years. We are incredibly lucky to have three vibrant formats of the game, with an outstanding programme of ICC global events and strong bilateral and domestic cricket and this FTP is designed to allow all cricket to flourish.
“The landscape around the game is continuing to evolve and we will work closely with Members as we collectively adapt to that. We are committed to growing the game and giving more fans more opportunities to enjoy cricket, but are very mindful of the need to balance that ambition with the welfare of players.”
Ireland CEO Warren Deutrom saids: “The release of the ICC Future Tours Programme marks yet another milestone in the progress Irish cricket has made over recent years. The quality and the volume of international cricket for Irish fans to enjoy is something previous generations only dreamt about.
“The ability, as a Full member, to be able to lock in multiple years’ worth of bilateral cricket is important for Cricket Ireland, as it allows us to plan ahead and pursue revenue streams with a greater level of certainty. This revenue, from areas such as broadcast and sponsorship, goes back into the game at all levels, helping us to deliver on growing the game across Ireland.
“During the period 2023-2027, Ireland Men will play matches against all 11 of the other Full Member sides, with 113 fixtures against those sides scheduled outside of ICC tournaments. Pleasingly, this will also include 12 Test matches – a format we as a country are keen to pursue more over coming years, whilst understanding that qualification for world cups remains a key priority.
“Ireland Women will play 44 matches between now and early 2025, with further fixtures outside of the ICC Women’s Championship to announce. This, again, does not include fixtures as part of ICC tournaments.
“The combined men’s and women’s international programme is an incredibly busy one – but one we are delighted to make public at this time.”
A media release on the complete men’s FTP, an earlier media release on the women’s FTP, graphics and schedules are available in the Online Media Zone
