Cricket - Ireland and Afghanistan confirm nine match series

Cricket Ireland and the Afghanistan Cricket Board have announced details of a nine match series being held next March in India.

The teams will play three T20 internationals, five ODI's and their four-day ICC InterContinental Cup clash at The Greater Noida Cricket Stadium.

“This will be a great opportunity for the squad to test themselves in nine matches across three formats," said Cricket Ireland Head Coach John Bracewell.

“Games between the sides are always competitive and I expect more of the same in this series. It’s always good for a team’s development to test themselves in different conditions, and there’s no better place than India to do that.

“I’m sure the younger players in particular will benefit from playing in sub-continental conditions and it will enrich their cricketing experience. It certainly promises to be an exciting month’s cricket and one which the players will relish.”

Cricket Ireland Performance Director Richard Holdsworth welcomed the fixtures announcement: “This tour is exactly what we have been pushing for in recent times, where the national team plays across all three formats over a 4-5 week period, just like the full members have been doing for years.

"Both sides are aspiring to become Test countries and to organise bilateral tours on a  regular basis in series with context rather than focusing mainly on tournament cricket.

"These matches will not only be part of the pathway to Test cricket for both countries, but also part of the World Cup qualification pathway.  We know the Afghanistan Cricket Board shares our views and we look forward to the series being as highly competitive as the recently-completed ODI series in Ireland.”

The CEO of Afghanistan Cricket Shafiq Stanikzai looked forward to the arrival of the Irish squad saying: “We are really looking forward to hosting the Irish team. This will be a great contest between well-suited teams, continuing their close rivalry, and will also count towards qualification for the Cricket World Cup in 2019."

The teams have played seven ODI’s to date, with Ireland winning four and Afghanistan three. The recently concluded series in Belfast finished two games apiece.

FIXTURES:

T20s
1st T20: March 8, 2016 in Greater Noida Cricket Stadium, India
2nd T20: March 10, 2016 in Greater Noida Cricket Stadium, India
3rd T20:  March 12, 2016 in Greater Noida Cricket Stadium, India

ODIs
1st ODI:  March 15, 2017 in Greater Noida Cricket Stadium, India
2nd ODI: March 17, 2017 Greater Noida Cricket Stadium, India
3rd ODI: March 19, 2017 in Greater Noida Cricket Stadium, India
4th ODI: March 22, 2017 in Greater Noida Cricket Stadium, India
5th ODI: March 24, 2017 in Greater Noida Cricket Stadium, India

ICC Intercontinental Cup
5th Round: March 28-31 2017 in Greater Noida Cricket Stadium, India