Ireland plan to host Test match next summer, says Cricket Ireland chairman

A day after Ireland were awarded Test status along with Afghanistan, they plan to host a Test match next summer. Cricket Ireland chairman Ross McCollum mentioned that fans in Ireland could well go on to watch a Test match in Ireland very soon.

On Thursday, the International Cricket Council (ICC), consisting of 10 Full Members and 95 Associate and Affiliate nations, granted both the Irish team and Afghanistan Full Membership and Test status. They can now make preparations for holding their first ever Test match.

Probable first opponents

Ireland’s Test twin Afghanistan could be their first opponent or even Zimbabwe, in that case, could be pitted against the Irish team for their first Test. The game will almost certainly be in Malahide. However, the “glamour game” against England at Lord’s in the summer of 2019 is yet to be talked through, and will surely be their greatest moment in cricketing history.

“We will discuss that down the line. But we have to make sure we are ready to take on England in a five-day match. The worst scenario would be if the game was finished in three days. But there will be Test cricket in Ireland in the next 12 months,” said McCollum.

As a result of their induction into the Full Member nations, the touring teams to England will also be invited to play a Test match in the country. On the other hand, the number of one-day internationals and Twenty20 games against the bigger teams will also increase substantially.

Test talks already underway with CI

Cricket Ireland chief executive Warren Deutrom confirmed to the media that two established Full Members have already approached him to discuss possible Test series in the near future.

The Irish team was last seen in action during the tri-series which they hosted. They were pitted against Bangladesh and New Zealand, with the latter winning the tournament convincingly.