England reschedules ODI series against Ireland due to packed calendar

England’s packed cricket calendar for 2025 has led to the rescheduling of their ODI series against Ireland. England’s upcoming tour of Ireland for the three-match ODI series has reportedly shifted from the middle of their high-octane Test series against India to the end of the summer.

As per the ICC's Future Tours Programme (2023-27), this three-match ODI series between Ireland and England was originally planned for June during a crowded international summer, but this series will now take place in September. However, to better fit into England’s packed calendar, this series has now been rescheduled to late September, as reported by The Telegraph.

England's ODI series against Ireland moved to September amid a busy schedule

Both the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket Ireland (CI) boards have welcomed this change and are pleased with the new arrangement. This change is seen as beneficial for both teams. For England, the September window will offer a break in their busy summer schedule, potentially allowing them to field a stronger team in the ODI series in Ireland.

The ODI series will also provide England an opportunity to manage player workloads better. On the other hand, Ireland is pleased that the series will still go ahead. Since late September is a less ideal window for the series due to weather concerns, the matches are expected to be held in Malahide, just north of Dublin, which is likely to attract England fans.

This change highlighted the challenges faced by England's new white-ball coach, who will need to navigate a crowded schedule that would not allow them to prepare fully and get all the important players for the key series. Notably, Matthew Mott recently resigned as England’s white-ball coach.

England’s 2025 calendar is exceptionally demanding, starting from May 2024 and extending through to March 2026. This calendar has the Ashes series, which will be crucial for England's “Bazball” strategy under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum with the schedule set to be announced this month.

England has a packed cricket schedule from August 2024-February 2026

Meanwhile, England's calendar is set to be exceptionally busy over the next two years, with a mix of home and away series across the formats. In the remainder of 2024, the England cricket team will host Sri Lanka in three Test matches at home from August to September.

They will then host Australia for three T20Is and five ODIs in September before traveling to Pakistan for three Tests in October. The year will wrap up with a tour to the West Indies in November for three ODIs and five T20Is, followed by a three-match Test series against New Zealand in December.

The 2025 season starts with a tour of India in January-February, featuring five T20Is and three ODIs. England will also participate in the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan in February-March. They will play a one-off Test against Zimbabwe at home in May, followed by the World Test Championship final in June.

The next June will also see them host the West Indies for three T20Is and three ODIs and later face India in a five-match Test series at home. England will host South Africa in three T20Is and three ODIs in September and then travel to Ireland for the rescheduled ODI series before finishing the 2025 season with tours to New Zealand and Australia.

England will travel to New Zealand in October 2025 for three T20Is and three ODIs and Australia in October-November next year for five Tests. In early 2026, England will tour Sri Lanka for three ODIs and three T20s, leading into the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 in India.