Ireland will return to Test cricket for the first time since 2019 after their tour to Bangladesh was confirmed for March and April.
Andrew Balbirnie’s side last played in the longest format in July 2019 against England at Lord’s. They have played three Tests in total since being granted the status to do so in 2017, Pakistan and Afghanistan their other two opponents.
Since 2019, the prohibitive costs of playing Test cricket added to the pandemic stymied Ireland’s development in the multi-day format.
The Test against Bangladesh will take place in Dhaka from April 4th-8th. It will be the final contest of a month long tour also featuring three ODIs (March 18th-23rd) and three T20Is (March 27th-31st).
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Given there has been no domestic first class cricket since 2019, mirroring Ireland’s absence from the Test arena, this will represent the first red ball cricket most Ireland internationals have played in a number of years.
Josh Little will not be available for the Test match due to his commitments in the Indian Premier League, but he will be available for selection for the white ball portion of the tour.
It will be the second time in quick succession captain Balbirnie and Curtis Campher play in Bangladesh, with both taking part in the Bangladesh Premier League now the tour of Zimbabwe is completed. The third ODI of that series was washed out on Monday, leaving the two sides tied at 1-1.
Ireland tour of Bangladesh
One Day Internationals: March 18th, 20th, 23rd (all Sylhet)
T20 Internationals: March 27th, 29th, 31st (all Chattogram)
One-off Test match: April 4th-8th, Dhaka.
