Cricket Ireland have confirmed that the upcoming T20 international series between Ireland and Bangladesh in May will be played in England.
Irish cricket's governing body reached an agreement with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on the four-match men’s T20 International series being hosted at venues in England.
With the loss of Clontarf as a home venue, Cricket Ireland has just 12 pitches available across the three remaining international grounds that need to cater for 15 matches.
As a result, the Board required alternative solutions to be developed to ensure Ireland could fulfil the Future Tour Programme hosting obligations, and additionally accommodate a window to host the Euro T20 Slam in Dublin, should that proceed.
Another key factor to the Board’s deliberations was the prioritisation of keeping the inaugural World Cup Super League matches in Ireland.
In a statement released today, Cricket Ireland chief executive Warren Deutrom began by thanking the ECB for their support.
"We greatly appreciate the support of the ECB and each of the venues involved in hosting this series," said Deutrom.
"This will be a great set of fixtures being played in some of England’s finest and most atmospheric grounds.
"2020 is one of Ireland’s biggest home seasons with three major nations touring and 15 matches to host.
"Consequently, it has been our most complex match allocation process ever, given the multiple challenges we are working through.
"Chief among these is the loss of access to one of our four international grounds for probably two seasons, with Clontarf undergoing extensive renovations.”
Deutrom is confident that the Ireland team will garner good support during the series in England.
"Irish fans will have 11 top-class international matches to enjoy at home – including opportunities to watch the world’s number one T20 side and the World Cup runners-up," added Deutrom.
"The two One-Day Internationals we played in England in 2017, and the overwhelming response to the Lord’s Test last year, shows that there is a great interest in Irish cricket in the United Kingdom, so we will be expecting plenty of green in the stands."
"Our thanks also to the Bangladesh Cricket Board for their agreement to support this initiative, and we look forward to a great series."
Tom Harrison, Chief Executive Officer of the ECB, is looking forward to welcoming cricket fans from both nations to their grounds.
"We are passionate about helping to protect and grow the game across the world and we are delighted to be able to support Cricket Ireland by hosting this series," said Harrison.
"We can’t wait to welcome both Ireland and Bangladesh as part of what promises to be an incredibly exciting summer of cricket.
"We saw at first hand the passion and joy both Irish and Bangladeshi fans brought to our venues last year and I’m sure both sets of supporters will enjoy some high quality cricket at all four grounds."
The series, to be played between 22 and 29 May 2020, is part of the ICC Future Tours Programme and will follow a three-match one-day international series between the two sides in Belfast.
The match details are:
- T20I #1: Friday 22 May 2020 at Kia Oval (start time 6.30pm, GMT)
- T20I #2: Sunday 24 May 2020 at The Cloudfm County Ground, Chelmsford (start time 2.00pm, GMT)
- T20I #3: Wednesday 27 May 2020 at The Bristol County Ground (start time 6.30pm, GMT)
- T20I #4: Friday 29 May 2020 at Edgbaston Stadium (start time 7.00pm, GMT)
Tickets will go on general sale from 16 March 2020 with fans able to purchase directly from each venue.
Cricket Ireland say that prices will vary slightly between venues, with early bird ticket offers available, and special offers for Cricket Ireland members and respective members of each County host while under-16s prices will range from between £1-£5.
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