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Test cricket return for Ireland Men as tour of Bangladesh confirmed

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DHAKA and DUBLIN – Ireland Men’s cricket team will play its first Test Match in over three years as part of its seven-match, multi-format tour of Bangladesh that was confirmed today.
The month-long tour will feature a warm-up fixture on 15 March, then three one-day internationals, three T20 Internationals and the Test Match. This will be the first-ever Test Match played between the two sides, and the first multi-format series the two sides have played at senior level. The squad will depart Dublin on 11 March.

The tour schedule is:

Warm-up match
• 15 March: warm-up match – opponent to be announced

ODI Series
• 18 March: Bangladesh Men v Ireland Men – 1st ODI (SICS, Sylhet)
• 20 March: Bangladesh Men v Ireland Men – 2nd ODI (SICS, Sylhet)
• 23 March: Bangladesh Men v Ireland Men – 3rd ODI (SICS, Sylhet)

T20I Series
• 27 March: Bangladesh Men v Ireland Men – 1st T20I (ZACS, Chattogram)
• 29 March: Bangladesh Men v Ireland Men – 2nd T20I (ZACS, Chattogram)
• 31 March: Bangladesh Men v Ireland Men – 3rd T20I (ZACS, Chattogram)

Test Match
• 4-8 April: Bangladesh Men v Ireland Men – Test Match (SBNCS, Dhaka)

Image: Ben White bowling for Ireland Wolves v Bangladesh A, 2021

Richard Holdsworth, High Performance Director for Cricket Ireland, said:

“2023 is set to be an incredibly busy year in Irish cricket – and we’re delighted to confirm this tour of Bangladesh. While it is the first tour of its kind that we have undertaken at senior level, the Ireland Wolves toured Bangladesh in early 2021 – that squad featured 10 members of the current senior squad playing in Zimbabwe this month.

“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.

“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.”

Squad selection will be announced in due course.

Match-up record

Ireland and Bangladesh men’s sides have met 19 times since 1997:

ODIs/ODMs – 14 played:
• Bangladesh – 9 wins
• Ireland – 3 wins
• No results – 2

T20Is – 5 played:
• Bangladesh – 3 wins
• Ireland – 1 win
• No results – 1

Ireland Men’s Test record

Ireland Men have played three Test Matches to date:
• 11-15 May 2018: Ireland Men v Pakistan; Malahide (scorecard)
• 15-18 March 2019: Ireland Men v Afghanistan; Dehradun (scorecard)
• 24-27 July 2019: Ireland Men v England; Lord’s (scorecard)