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Australia Tour Of Ireland Called Off By Cricket Ireland Over Financial Pressures

Frustrated Ireland players walking off (X.com)Frustrated Ireland players walking off (X.com)

Australia’s impending tour of Ireland has been postponed owing to financial and logistical issues pertaining to Cricket Ireland.

As per ICC’s Future Tours Program, the Australian cricket team was scheduled to tour Ireland in August, i.e., shortly after this year’s 2024 T20 World Cup, to play a three-match ODI series and a one-off T20I match. The tour was slated to be attached to Australia’s white-ball trip to England in September.

Cricket Ireland postpones home series against Australia

Cricket Ireland, suffering the strains of a hectic home season this year, have postponed their white-ball series against the Australian cricket team. Moreover, the cricket board also shifted their impending home series against South Africa to the UAE, and cancelled their entire 2024 domestic T20 competition to accommodate key international fixtures.

With several home fixtures lined up for Ireland, including matches against Pakistan and a tri-series involving Netherlands and Scotland, Cricket Ireland was poised to suffer the logical constraints given the lack of permanent venues they have at their disposal.

Moreover, Cricket Ireland is also expected to host a number of women’s cricketing fixtures with matches against England, Netherlands and Sri Lanka. A comprehensive and detailed home schedule will be announced by Cricket Ireland on March 15.

Earlier this month, Cricket Ireland's high performance director Richard Holdsworth indicated that delivering their entire share of ICC’s FTP can be a real challenge for them owing to the limited number of venues, and the higher costs of hosting games in the country. While speaking with ESPNCricinfo, he said:

“What we had in the FTP as a whole... it's a real challenge to deliver all of it. We've got almost too much cricket for the amount of venues that we've got. Costs of putting on games in Ireland have gone up considerably since Covid. Hotel prices, putting up temporary infrastructure for grounds have gone up astronomically.”

Holdsworth, however, confirmed that Cricket Ireland will not be shifting their home series against Australia to England.

Both Australia and Ireland have never encountered each other in a full-fledged ODI series before, with each of their prior battles either occurring at a multi-nation ICC event or through one-off ODI affairs.

Regardless, the Australian team will indeed be touring England in September this year, as part of their three-match T20I and a five-match ODI trip.