Ireland cricket team doubling their entire amount of Test fixtures in the space of just four weeks

Richard Holdsworth, Cricket Ireland high-performance director. Photo: Sportsfile

By PA Sport Staff

March 14 2023 01:40 PM

Ireland have agreed to play a second Test match against Sri Lanka next month, replacing a pair of scheduled ODIs.

What was initially conceived as a split red and white-ball tour will now consist of two five-day matches in Galle, on April 16-20 and April 24-28.

With a one-off game against Bangladesh also lined up at the start of April in Dhaka, it means Ireland will double their entire amount of Test fixtures in the space of just four weeks.

Having been granted Test status in 2017, they had previously been restricted to just three games, with their most recent coming against England at Lord's in 2019.

They head back to the home of cricket in June and should arrive with some useful experiences under their belt.

Ireland's high performance director Richard Holdsworth said: "When we were approached by Sri Lanka Cricket about the possibility of a change to the schedule, our immediate thoughts were around our white-ball priority, given the potential 50-over World Cup qualification later this year still being a tangible outcome.

"Talking through our priorities and their priorities, we agreed to the late change given that the Test series is preceded by six white-ball matches in Bangladesh, and followed by three further ODIs after we return home.

"Exposing our playing group to an extended period in Asian conditions will be beneficial to their development and given the World Cup this year is in India, the more exposure to these conditions, the better - despite it being a different format."