Ireland to host Australia for a Test series before 2019 Ashes

Ireland, who earned their Test status earlier in June this year will play 16 Tests, 42 ODIs, and 44 T20Is from 2019 to 2023 according to Future Tour Programme (FTP) which was allegedly leaked by India. The programme also reveals that Australia will tour the country before they land in England for the 2019 Ashes. The last time the team from down under’ travelled all the way to Ireland was in 2015 for an ODI in Stormont.

The team will play their maiden Test against Pakistan at Malahide near Dublin from May 11, 2018. As it was predicted, Ireland plays most of their Tests against Zimbabwe (4) and Afghanistan (5). Although the venues have not been finalized yet, four of these Tests are expected to be played at home.

Their tour to England is scheduled after playing Sri Lanka in a one-off Test in 2020. The aim is to provide the Irish cricketers enough experience in the longest format before they play at Lord’s, the home of cricket.

Apart from the Test against Pakistan next year, Ireland is free and can plan their bilateral series before the FTP gets underway. However, they are yet to finalize the FTP which will be okayed at the Chief Executives’ Meeting in February, before receiving final approval at the ICC Annual Conference next June.

Afghanistan to play India for the first time ever

Apart from Ireland, Afghanistan was the other nation to earn the Test status. Both the teams were inducted as full members of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in June, becoming the sport’s 11th and 12h Test-playing nations.

In a first-ever, India is set to host Afghanistan for a Test in the 2019-2020 calendar year. In addition to welcoming them into five-day cricket, the BCCI has also extended a helping hand to Afghanistan on a number of occasions. The team from the war-ravaged nation has hosted its home games in India, most recently the series against Ireland in Greater Noida.