Cricket Ireland postpone Bangladesh series due to Coronavirus [Post #27]

[Abdullah719]

A Test match was supposed to take place between Ireland and Bangladesh in 2020 but it has now been cancelled due to financial constraints. Ireland had planned a home Test match for the second time in their history but it has now been converted into a T20 fixture. Cricket Ireland has also cancelled a planned T20I series against Afghanistan due to the same reason. Warren Deutrom has commented that the board is facing financial problems since becoming a Full Member in 2018.

Cricket Ireland has gone ahead with replacing the Test match with a T20 as the cost of hosting a 5-day game was coming around €1m (US$1.14m). So with two T20 World Cups coming up in 2020 and 2021, Ireland is giving priority to the shortest format of the game. Cricket Ireland chief Deutrom has said that the country has seen a shortfall in funding from the ICC and had to make some tough decisions.

“The first area of prioritisation for 2020, has been white-ball cricket over red ball,” Deutrom said in a statement on the Cricket Ireland website.

“Like all Irish cricket fans, we would love nothing more than to be competing on all three fronts - Tests, ODIs, and T20Is. Unfortunately, our financial constraints have led us to cut the home Test match next year.

“As the Test does not form part of the World Test Championship, the one-off match lacks context. For effectively a ‘friendly’, the expected costs for hosting the Test would be over €1 million, with little expectation of creating revenue streams to cover the costs of hosting.”

Ireland will be hosting Bangladesh, New Zealand, Pakistan for limited-overs assignments before touring England.

“Those tough decisions also include having to prioritise some white-ball cricket over others,” Deutrom said.

“With Bangladesh and NZ coming over for important ODIs, it makes sense to extend their tours with complementary T20Is. Similarly, Pakistan is the No. 1 T20I team in the world and have proven popular visitors here over the years.”

“However, we have notified the Afghanistan Cricket Board that we shall not be in a position to host them for the five planned T20Is in 2020. We have been regular and frequent opponents of the Afghans every year for a long time now, and we shall be again in future. However, needs must at this juncture to ensure we are operating as a responsible governing body operating within our means.”

“The ODIs and remaining T20Is next year both have greater context and direct connections to two upcoming World Cups. The T20Is will form essential match play experience leading into the T20 World Cup in October, while the ODIs will become important with the start of the new World Cup Super League next year, which is the next 50-over World Cup’s qualification process. This will mean that in 2020, three of the Bangladesh ODIs and the three New Zealand ODIs next year directly count towards world cup qualification.”

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cric...constraints/story-9hX59nwbCVb0mueOOd1JGI.html

 

[Fahdi]

Sad to see them having to go through this.

 

[MenInG]

Why isnt the ICC helping out? Cricket tours should never be cancelled for financial considerations.

 

[Green Patriot]

ICC should not let cricket die like this. They need to step in.

 

[mgtow]

Bangladesh is not lucrative as its people are led to believe. Not exactly financial puller for Ireland hence not the surprise decision here.

 

[Titan24]

There should be something in the ICC constitution regarding teams that are newly given test status i.e Providing financial support of 5 years for hosting tours or something on those terms.

Once the new nation establishes itself, people are involved in it, test cricket culture is developed then it will become easier for the new member boards to be self reliant.

As obviously any new test member with not much reserves in store is gonna struggle initially.

 

[MMHS]

Bangladesh is not lucrative as its people are led to believe. Not exactly financial puller for Ireland hence not the surprise decision here.

Opposite - last two times, Ireland has hosted BD in a triangular tournament and 90% sponsors were from Bangladesh, Including title sponsor. In fact, the home team was also sponsored by BD brands in one of the tournaments. And, that’s exactly the reason they have converted the Test into T20I.

It’s the problem with Irish board & Test cricket, hence no surprise- otherwise there is absolutely no reason to cancel T20 series with Afghans and add that to BD series, that too in T20. Use common sense - shooting random logic doesn’t make one smart.

 

[aloo paratha]

Sad. Bangladesh saved from embarrassment though.

 

[MMHS]

Sad. Bangladesh saved from embarrassment though.

True - if ICC splits Test nations in two divisions, we’ll be clubbed with other minnows, playing Ireland is always risk for us.

However, I am not sure why you are thinking that a Test win for Ireland is given - I understand, our boys are not that talunt*d, but still, you know..... we have seen lots of talu*t here and there.

 

[KingKhanXi]

Ireland needs to take test cricket seriously. They asked for test membership, you have to bear financial losses for start.

 

[Captain caveman]

Sad for ireland to have to cancel test matches, as they worked so hard for test status.
But the truth is test cricket is dying, thank God, and in the future, india, england and australia will be playing against each other, as no one else will be bothered with test cricket.

 

[Waleed93]

On topic, the ICC needs to help Ireland if they are in some financial crisis. They have just recently gained Test status and they should not be left without assistance.

 

[thelandofthebravepeople]

I am wondering how can hosting 1 test match cost 1 million euro. That is serious amount of money for just 1 test. Surely it must be possible to do it cheaper. Anyone know what the money is spend on?

 

[dodo.2k]

3 international umpires.
Two teams staying for 6 days.
Ground rental fees.
Ground staff salary.
Scorers.
DRS.

 

[thelandofthebravepeople]

3 international umpires.
Two teams staying for 6 days.
Ground rental fees.
Ground staff salary.
Scorers.
DRS.

Lets say you have to accomodate total amounth of 50 people. 2K for 6 days. That's 100K

50 Ground stuff they get paid 100 USD pr. hour for 8 hours work pr. day. Total work 6 days: That is 240K

Players salary. Lets say 15 players get 2000 USD for the match that is 30K

Ground rental can't be that much. 20K max.

You don't need DRS if you can't afford it.

That's total of 390K USD.

Then there might be some expenses for security, but 1 million euro is still a lot.

 

[MMHS]

You see, Test cricket is going through it’s biggest crisis - only very few decent teams, that too none good at away from home. And, the game is declining at an alarming rate, which is the ultimate disaster for this game - after so many additions of “Successful” PSL, I guess now you should understand that, this T20 sh!t doesn’t improve your game - players are developed from longer game and once this current generation of players groomed in longer game retire, unless we fix our prioritises & our objective, our next generation will watch a cricket game something like we used to play in weekends with 40 metres boundary and 60 minutes duration.

Only solution for this not to happen is to play more Tests and prioritise that format so that basic skills of the game is kept intact and nurtured. In that regard, we (BD) also needs to play as many Test as possible, so that the core is developed into our players and fans also develop an interest. It’s a ground reality that, there are very few good teams these days, fewer who can arrange Test matches successfully - but then, countries shouldn’t ask for Test status, if they can’t host it!!!

Ireland is declining to arrange a Test, because they can’t fund it - one of the richest country in world is struggling to arrange one such game that costs less than what is their total per capita GDP for the playing XI!!!!! - it’s an alarming sign for the game as a whole ....

 

[aloo paratha]

True - if ICC splits Test nations in two divisions, we’ll be clubbed with other minnows, playing Ireland is always risk for us.

However, I am not sure why you are thinking that a Test win for Ireland is given - I understand, our boys are not that talunt*d, but still, you know..... we have seen lots of talu*t here and there.

Well I think it's the conditions that make me think this would be a 80% Ireland win rather than Ireland themselves. Bangladesh batsmen don't have much experience on green tracks and don't have the pacers to make use of those green tracks.

 

[MMHS]

Well I think it's the conditions that make me think this would be a 80% Ireland win rather than Ireland themselves. Bangladesh batsmen don't have much experience on green tracks and don't have the pacers to make use of those green tracks.

That was exactly what was said before two ODI tournaments there, including WIN - it didn’t age well. If you had seen last BD-IND series, you might have given a second thought about their batsman surviving on green tops against BD seemers. I know the difference between Test & ODI; but Ireland isn’t that experienced, neither that good in Test either.

It’s actually will work opposite for BD-IRL game. Even in 2003, BD would have won a Test at Multan on a green, seemers track; because that track reduced the gap in the weaker skill side - penetrative bowling; we could compete better on batting front.

Ireland, indeed can win a Test against us, but it won’t be for green tracks - I can bet my house on that. On low scoring green tops, the difference will be batting, not bowling, and Ireland is behind in that area - they’ll need a knockout punch with ball, otherwise their batsmen will face the same. This is exactly the reason, even after blowing Poms for 89, I wrote that England will win that Test comfortably..”... ideally England should win by innings, here they have 89 runs handicap ..... “, Ireland didn’t score 89 in last innings of the game to prove my point.

Actually, Ireland has a better chance against us on wickets that last 5 days - they can hurt our batting with new ball, than bat for long on good batting conditions. This is exactly the same cricket explanation I gave when Robert Mughabe’s ZIM defended 230 against Misbah’s PAK (opposite logic - the gap was so wide that only a collapse could work, and it did work) that time, that explanation wasn’t lol worthy though.

 

[saeed5646]

Surprised by this decision considering bd board is fifth most richest cricket board in the world [MENTION=9211]BDfanforever[/MENTION]

 

[MenInG]

Deleted and edited some posts above.

Stay on topic.

 

[ZaudStorm]

Surprised by this decision considering bd board is fifth most richest cricket board in the world [MENTION=9211]BDfanforever[/MENTION]

This has nothing to do with Bangladesh, more to do with Cricket Ireland's financial state.

 

[Abid Z]

Ireland needs to take test cricket seriously. They asked for test membership, you have to bear financial losses for start.

Test cricket isn’t much of a revenue generator unless you’ve got good sponsorship and broadcasting deals agreed. Takes time.

 

[moghul]

Afghanistan and Ireland should never be rewarded a test status, they don;t have infra-structure for tests.

 

[MenInG]

Sri Lanka Cricket postpone the proposed tour of Ireland in 2020

DUBLIN – Sri Lanka Cricket has announced that the proposed Ireland Tour 2020 of Sri Lanka has been postponed.

Sri Lanka Cricket has announced that the proposed Ireland Tour of Sri Lanka, which was expected to take place in February 2020, has been postponed. Under the original schedule, Ireland was scheduled play a single Test match vs Sri Lanka from 8 -12 February 2020.

The tour was not part of SLC’s original broadcast agreement, which was concluded in 2013, at a time when Ireland was not a full member country.

SLC notified us of their preference to postpone the fixture last week, and we requested a swift announcement by SLC to notify travelling fans and media as quickly as possible of the postponement. We have agreed to SLC’s request to reschedule the tour to a later date to ensure that the proposed one-off Test match will come under the next broadcast agreement, which SLC is planning to sign with a prospective partner during the year 2020. The date for that rescheduled match will be announced in due course.

Cricket Ireland CEO Warren Deutrom said: “We understand that ICC regulations require all Tests to be broadcast, and it became clear only recently that this one-off match was no exception. We were far progressed in our planning for this short tour, so we and the travelling squad are obviously disappointed. Most of all, we are deeply sorry for those family, friends, cricket fans and media who would have gone to such trouble to make arrangements to travel to Galle for the match. Rest assured we shall work as quickly as possible with SLC to identify an alternative slot for the match and we shall communicate that as soon as it is confirmed. We'd like to thank the Ireland fans for their continued support and understanding.”

 

[MenInG]

Cricket Ireland and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have reached agreement on the four-match men’s T20 International series between Ireland and Bangladesh being hosted at venues in England.

The series, to be played between 22 and 29 May 2020, is part of the ICC Future Tours Programme and will follow a three-match one-day international series between the two sides in Belfast.

The match details are:

T20I #1: Friday 22 May 2020 at Kia Oval (start time 6.30pm, GMT)

T20I #2: Sunday 24 May 2020 at The Cloudfm County Ground, Chelmsford (start time 2.00pm, GMT)

T20I #3: Wednesday 27 May 2020 at The Bristol County Ground (start time 6.30pm, GMT)

T20I #4: Friday 29 May 2020 at Edgbaston Stadium (start time 7.00pm, GMT)


Tickets will go on general sale from 16 March 2020 with fans able to purchase directly from each venue. Prices will vary slightly between venue, with early bird ticket offers available, and special offers for Cricket Ireland members and respective members of each County host. Pricing will be highly affordable for under-16s with prices ranging between £1-£5. Group booking discounts will also be available at several venues.

Warren Deutrom, Chief Executive of Cricket Ireland, said:

“We greatly appreciate the support of the ECB and each of the venues involved in hosting this series. This will be a great set of fixtures being played in some of England’s finest and most atmospheric grounds.”

“2020 is one of Ireland’s biggest home seasons with three major nations touring and 15 matches to host. Consequently, it has been our most complex match allocation process ever, given the multiple challenges we are working through. Chief among these is the loss of access to one of our four international grounds for probably two seasons, with Clontarf undergoing extensive renovations.”

“Irish fans will have 11 top-class international matches to enjoy at home – including opportunities to watch the world’s number one T20 side and the World Cup runners-up. The two One-Day Internationals we played in England in 2017, and the overwhelming response to the Lord’s Test last year, shows that there is a great interest in Irish cricket in the United Kingdom, so we will be expecting plenty of green in the stands.”

“Our thanks also to the Bangladesh Cricket Board for their agreement to support this initiative, and we look forward to a great series.”

With the loss of Clontarf as a home venue, Cricket Ireland has just 12 pitches available across the three remaining international grounds that need to cater for 15 matches. As a result, the Board required alternative solutions to be developed to ensure Ireland could fulfil our Future Tour Programme hosting obligations, and additionally accommodate a window to host the Euro T20 Slam in Dublin, should that proceed. Also key to the Board’s deliberations was the prioritisation of keeping the inaugural World Cup Super League matches in Ireland.

Tom Harrison, Chief Executive Officer of the ECB, said:

“We are passionate about helping to protect and grow the game across the world and we are delighted to be able to support Cricket Ireland by hosting this series. We can’t wait to welcome both Ireland and Bangladesh as part of what promises to be an incredibly exciting summer of cricket.

“We saw at first hand the passion and joy both Irish and Bangladeshi fans brought to our venues last year and I’m sure both sets of supporters will enjoy some high quality cricket at all four grounds.”

 

[sweep_shot]

So, 3 ODI games and 4 T20 games.

Good practice for BD before the World T20.

 

[MenInG]

DUBLIN – Cricket Ireland and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) have agreed to postpone the planned seven-match men’s series between the two sides scheduled to be played in Belfast and England in May 2020.

In line with advice from both Irish and UK governments around international travel, sporting events and mass gatherings, the two Boards had agreed that the series should be postponed given the current Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and anticipated timeframes.

Warren Deutrom, Chief Executive of Cricket Ireland, said:

“Once the scale of the COVID-19 pandemic was understood, and the advice of both Governments and partner boards was sought, it became increasingly unlikely that this series could proceed as scheduled. We have a responsibility to protect the wellbeing of players, coaches, fans and the wider community, and will not hesitate to take a safety-first approach to our operations over coming months.”

“We will continue monitoring the situation, and will liaise as necessary with relevant sports bodies, public health agencies and our stakeholders here and abroad, and provide further updates on the home season in due course.”

“We would like to thank the Bangladesh Cricket Board for their helpful cooperation in reaching this decision, and we shall work with them at establishing new dates for the series when we are all in a position to plan for the future with greater certainty.”

 

[Arham_PakFan]

Ireland have unfortunately had a lot of their fixtures rescheduled. Pakistan should play a Test and a couple of T20Is there before we tour England. Would be good practice.

 

[Firebat]

DUBLIN, BELFAST and BREADY – More than 30 of Ireland’s elite cricketers return to training this week at three dedicated hubs across Ireland, with the senior men’s and women’s squads undertaking modified training sessions in accordance with Cricket Ireland’s COVID-19 Safe Return to Training Protocols.

Preparatory cleaning and disinfecting work at the Cricket Ireland High Performance Centre in Dublin, the cricket facilities at the Civil Service NI Ground in Belfast, and at Bready Cricket Club in the North West has been undertaken over the weekend to ensure the players and coaches have a safe and clean environment to train.

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

“Our elite senior players are obviously delighted to get some form of cricket activity back underway. We’re very much taking a safety-first approach to ensure the health of players and coaches, as well as the staff on hand who are supporting the sessions and helping to implement the COVID-19 Safe Return to Training Protocols.”

“The most effective and controllable solution was to create three high performance regional hubs to host the practice and training of our men’s and women’s performance squads. The sessions will feature 1:1 individual work in small group numbers. The approved protocols cover maintenance and cleaning regimes for facilities and sporting equipment, and how players and coaches can train and interact in a cricketing sense, while maintaining social distancing.”

“We have trained COVID-19 Safety Officers to manage these hubs, held online education sessions with the players and coaches over the weekend, and provided support for the three venues in implementing many of the essential hygiene and compliance measures. Everyone is aware of what is required to comply with the safety protocols, now it’s just up to the weather to play its part!”

“There has been a tremendous amount of work behind-the-scenes to get the elite players underway. We would like to acknowledge the many stakeholders involved in the development of the guidelines including Sport Ireland and Sport Northern Ireland, our players, coaches, Provincial Unions, the Irish Cricketers’ Association, the Northern Ireland Civil Service Sports Association (NICSSA) and Bready Cricket Club. We are also grateful to the Sport Ireland Institute who has included Cricket in their programme of Return to Train and we shall re-commence strength and conditioning work there in the coming weeks.”

Despite the write-off of Ireland’s international home programme in 2020, Holdsworth is hopeful that the return to training will put both the men’s and women’s squads in a good position ahead of possible international action later in the year:

“We are still in discussions with the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) regarding playing three ODI’s against England in late July. Clearly, the approval of those matches is a matter for the ECB and the UK Government, and we shall continue to liaise closely with ECB in that regard. In terms of getting ready for those matches should the approval come, with a 6-8 week period regarded as essential from the standing start of lockdown to being ready for international cricket – particularly for our bowlers – it was crucial that our players did not lose any more time with the England squad already back to training. In addition, there is also still the outside prospect of the men’s T20 World Cup in late 2020 – so it may still be a big year for the men’s squad.”

“The women’s squad are looking at a rescheduled World Cup Qualifier tournament which, if it proceeds this year, will require a lead-up programme.”

“We have a few players still overseas at the moment, and two who permanently reside in England, but otherwise we expect to have the contracted senior men’s squad involved today. The women’s senior performance squad and the four emerging contracted players will start training from tomorrow.”

Holdsworth also sees these elite training sessions as the first stage of a gradual return to training within the international performance pathway:

“All of our staff coaches will be involved in the training of our senior players during this first stage - given the greatest priorities around the key international competition ahead. Further into the government roadmaps - north and south - we shall in time re-introduce coaching for our talent pathway and academies.”

“So, while it’s not quite ‘back to normal’ just yet, this is definitely a positive step for cricket in Ireland.”

 

[sweep_shot]

Ireland should invite Zimbabwe for a Test. I think they can beat Zimbabwe and get their maiden Test win.