Ireland release dates for tour by Zimbabwe with test match cancelled

Ireland have announced the dates for their tour by Zimbabwe later this year.

Zimbabwe will tour Ireland in August for three ODIs and as many T20Is. The ODIs will serve as part of the ICC World Cup Super League.

The test match that had been expected to be played has been shelved as Cricket Ireland have explained in their statement:

Fans may also recall that the original FTP included a Test match against Zimbabwe in 2021. Unfortunately, due to the fixture rescheduling of the international cricket calendar, and twin financial constraints brought about by COVID and the fact that we do not have a dedicated cricket stadium yet, we are simply unable to afford a home Test in 2021. Test cricket is still a highly-revered format of our sport that we will be seeking to play more frequently in future years, however, given the reasons stated, and the fact it is a T20 World Cup year, the Board felt our priority should be white-ball cricket this season to give our squad the best chance of success on the world stage.

The dates are as below:

Ireland v Zimbabwe series

• 6 August: Ireland v Zimbabwe, 1st ODI (Stormont)*
• 8 August: Ireland v Zimbabwe, 2nd ODI (Stormont)*
• 11 August: Ireland v Zimbabwe, 3rd ODI (Stormont)*
• 15 August: Ireland v Zimbabwe, 1st T20I (Bready)
• 17 August: Ireland v Zimbabwe, 2nd T20I (Bready)
• 20 August: Ireland v Zimbabwe, 3rd T20I (Bready)

* Matches form part of the ICC World Cup Super League