Ireland tour of Bangladesh: CI confirms plan for first Test in more than 3 years; ODIs, T20s also on itinerary

Ireland are set to don the white kits of Test cricket once again as they will square off against Bangladesh in their upcoming tour. The plans were confirmed by Cricket Ireland as they will also play ODI and T20I series as part of the Sub-continent tour. Ireland’s only Test match came in 2019 when they played England and were beaten comprehensively.

What are the plans?

Ireland’s first-ever full tour to Bangladesh will see them play three One Day Internationals and three T20 Internationals, before the tour concludes with a one-off Test in Mirpur.

The Test match will be the fourth in Ireland's history, and their first since facing England at Lord’s in 2019.

“We are delighted to confirm Ireland Men’s seven-match, multi-format tour of Bangladesh - and thank the BCB for their cooperation and support in agreeing this month-long tour,” Warren Deutrom, Chief Executive of Cricket Ireland, said.

“Since the two sides first met in 1997, there has been a great on-field rivalry formed and we look forward to what looks set to be another competitive series.

“Of particular interest to players and fans alike will no doubt be the last fixture on the schedule – the match marks Ireland’s return to playing Test cricket. It will undoubtedly be a challenging experience in Asian conditions for our squad, but it will be invaluable to our players’ development knowing that we will be playing a great deal of cricket in Asia over the coming years.”

Ireland and Bangladesh have met 20 times before, with the head-to-head record standing 9-3 in the Tigers’ favour in ODIs and 3-2 in their favour in T20Is.

But this tour represents a new step in the relationship between the two, with Ireland never previously having undertaken a senior tour of such magnitude.

“Ireland’s visit to Bangladesh is another exciting event in our home season after the series’ against India and England,” Bangladesh Cricket Board CEO Nizam Uddin Chowdhury said.

“The BCB and Cricket Ireland have a cordial and strong relationship and the two boards have worked very closely to arrange this bilateral tour despite the challenges of a busy international calendar. This is also a statement of the BCB’s commitment to the ICC Future Tours Programme.”

And Ireland’s High-Performance Director of Cricket, Richard Holdsworth, added:

“Under the Future Tours Programme we will be playing a great deal of cricket in Asia, so these matches are valuable experiences for our players’ development – as well as an opportunity to get an insight into the team we will be playing in our last World Cup Super League matches in May.

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White-Ball Cricket also on offer

“While the white-ball fixtures will be keenly watched, undoubtedly most interest will be in the Test Match at the backend of the tour. Our return to playing Test cricket is very welcome, and it will be the first of a few Tests in 2023. Thanks to the Bangladesh Cricket Board for working with us on putting together a great schedule.”