Photo Credit: Cricket Ireland
UAE authorities have given the go-ahead for the UAE squad to resume competitive action, and a second men’s one-day international between UAE and Ireland will be played tomorrow (18 January), after two of the four matches scheduled could not proceed as planned due to COVID-19 health concerns.
The Emirates Cricket Board statement released said:
“Emirates Cricket Board is delighted to confirm that the fourth match in the Sky247.net Abu Dhabi ODI Series 2021 between the UAE and Ireland has been approved by the authorities to proceed tomorrow, Monday January 18th.”
“This closing match in the series will be played at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi, and will start at 09:30 (UAE Time).”
“The match will be live streamed in partnership with ITW Consulting and broadcast in India on EuroSports, Premier Sports in the UK, Criclife in the UAE and Willow TV in the USA.”
Richard Holdsworth, High Performance Director for Cricket Ireland, said:
“We’re delighted that the go ahead has been granted for the rescheduled match, and the squad is looking forward to getting back into competitive action.”
“It has been very disruptive for team planning and player preparation not knowing when the next game will be, but I know that Graham Ford and the squad will adapt and be pleased that there is a confirmed fixture now in place.”
“As always, we appreciate the work of the Emirates Cricket Board in getting this game on, and look forward to seeing the lads back on the field as they look to square the series.”
FIXTURES
The international fixtures, which will be played at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi, are:
• UAE v Ireland – 2nd ODI – 16 Jan 2021 (start: 9.30am local time / 5.30am Irish time)
• Afghanistan v Ireland – 1st ODI – 21 Jan 2021 (start: 9.30am local time / 5.30am Irish time)
• Afghanistan v Ireland – 2nd ODI – 24 Jan 2021 (start: 9.30am local time / 5.30am Irish time)
• Afghanistan v Ireland – 3rd ODI – 26 Jan 2021 (start: 9.30am local time / 5.30am Irish time)
The matches against Afghanistan will be part of the World Cup Super League (see below for details).
LIVESTREAM / BROADCAST
Matches will be livestreamed via Youtube in Ireland / UK, with further details made available closer to the match days. For the rest of the world, the series with either be shown on satellite television or livestreamed, so please check local guides.
SQUAD
The Ireland Men’s squad is:
Andrew Balbirnie (C), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, Josh Little, Andrew McBrine, Barry McCarthy, James McCollum, Kevin O’Brien, Neil Rock, Simi Singh, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Craig Young.
WORLD CUP SUPER LEAGUE
Matches played as part of the inaugural ICC Cricket World Cup Super League (2020-2023) are essentially World Cup Qualifier matches, as the League will serve as part of the 2023 Cricket World Cup Qualification process.
• See the current WCSL table as it stands
The WCSL features thirteen teams, the twelve Full members of the International Cricket Council (ICC), and the Netherlands (who won the 2015–17 ICC World Cricket League Championship to qualify for this competition). Each team will play an ODI series against eight of the twelve opponents, four series at home and four away. Each series will consist of three ODIs. For the World Cup, the hosts (India in 2023), and the top seven-ranked sides thereafter, will qualify automatically. The remaining five teams will play in a qualifying event along with five Associate sides, from which two sides will go through to the final tournament.
Name of Author: Cricket Ireland
Cricket Ireland, officially known as The Irish Cricket Union Company Limited by Guarantee, is the governing body for cricket on the island of Ireland. It oversees the national men’s and women’s teams and organizes the Inter-Provincial Series, Super 3s, and All-Ireland club competitions. Ireland achieved Test status for women in 2000 and for men in 2017 when it became a Full Member of the ICC.
