Ireland shelves plans to host multi-format series against Afghanistan
Cricket Ireland has cancelled its home series against Afghanistan due to financial issues. According to the ICC Future Tours Programme (FTP), the series was set to include a Test match, three ODIs, and three T20Is, but concerns over costs and a packed schedule led to its removal.
CEO Warren Deutrom dismissed any political reasons, stressing that the decision was purely financial. He pointed out the high costs of hosting full-member nations and the challenge of managing the team's packed fixture list.
This isn’t the first time Ireland has faced such challenges, as they also called off a T20I series against Afghanistan in 2020 for similar reasons.
Despite this, the Green and Whites' calendar remains busy. Their men's team is set to host England for a T20I series in September and play ODIs and T20Is against the West Indies in the summer. Meanwhile, the women's team will compete in the ICC Women's World Cup qualifier in April.
