Ireland's men's cricket team will tour Pakistan for the first time next year in August-September window. Cricket Ireland (CI) confirmed the development in the middle of the three-match T20I series against Pakistan at home. The two teams will face each other in the third and final T20I today at the Clontarf Cricket Club Ground in Dublin with the series locked at 1-1.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi is also in Ireland at the moment with the national team and met his counterpart Brain MacNeice. Initially, PCB had released a statement confirming that Ireland has agreed to play a Test series in Pakistan but later denied any such possibility contradicting its own statement. "Chairman Cricket Ireland said that the Irish team would visit Pakistan next year in August-September for a Test series and would also review the possibility of a women's team tour to Pakistan soon," the PCB statement read.
For now though, Cricket Ireland has confirmed that its men's team will tour Pakistan for three T20Is and as many ODIs next year. "We are delighted to have welcomed Chairman Naqvi to Dublin and we had a very productive meeting. The presence of the PCB chairman in Ireland was very much appreciated and is a strong indicator of the excellent relationship between the two boards.
"Discussions were wide-ranging, and included exploring men’s, women’s and Wolves-level fixtures in the future. I’m very pleased that we were able to agree a men’s tour next year – this will be yet another historic first, coming after the tour to Pakistan by our senior women in 2022," Cricket Ireland chairman MacNeice said. The detailed itinerary of the historic tour will be released in the due course.
As of now, both Ireland and Pakistan will be keen on winning the three-match series on Tuesday (May 14). The hosts shocked Pakistan in the first T20I chasing down the 180-odd target but the visitors hit back really well gunning down 194 with utter ease.
