LAHORE: Pakistan will tour Ireland in May for three T20Is in the teams’ first meeting since 2018
The PCB announced May 10, 12 and 14 for Pakistan’s three-match T20I tour of Ireland, with the matches at Castle Avenue in Dublin.
The series is part of Pakistan’s 12-match run ahead of the T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies in June. Before Pakistan leave for Ireland, New Zealand will arrive in Pakistan in April to play five T20Is, with the first of those matches taking place on April 18. The final match will take place on April 27. This is followed by a tour of England where Pakistan play four T20Is from May 22.
Pakistan were also last in action in a T20I series against New Zealand, who hosted them for five matches in January.
Pakistan last visited Ireland in the opening Test of Ireland in 2018. That was also the last time the two teams met across formats. And although Pakistan were due to play Ireland in two T20Is in Dublin in July 2020, they were postponed due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ireland, meanwhile, will go into the T20I against Pakistan on the back of ODI and T20I series defeats against Afghanistan in the UAE earlier this month, although they secured a first-ever Test win in Abu Dhabi to open this tour.
Pakistan was also scheduled to play three more T20Is against the Netherlands in May, but that series was postponed indefinitely last November at the PCB’s request. Koninklijke Nederlandse Cricket Board high performance manager Roland Lefebvre confirmed to ESPNcricinfo at the time that the tour had been postponed due to scheduling conflicts and concerns over player workloads cited by the PCB. The PCB then said they were actively looking for another window. Ireland vs Pakistan Series Schedule:
10 May 2024: First T20I at Clontarf
12 May 2024: Second T20I at Clontarf
14 May 2024: Third T20I at Clontarf
It is to be noted that the players of the Pakistan men’s team are currently participating in a fitness camp in Kakul which started on March 25.
All-rounder Imad Wasim and pacer Mohammad Amir have been called up after their recent retirements. Meanwhile, batsman Usman Khan, one of the best performers of PSL 9, has also been included.
The camp will end on April 8.
