Sri Lanka To Face Ireland In One-Off Test Match Next Year

For the first time in cricket history, Ireland is going to play Sri Lanka in the Test format of the game. Ireland, who recently got the Test status set to travel Sri Lanka next year to play one-off Test against the home side. However, the Test match will not be the part of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship.

Ireland played their inaugural Test match against Pakistan at Malahide and lost by five wickets. Since then they have lost Test matches to Afghanistan and England. Sri Lanka’s international schedule for 2020 comprises largely of T20 Internationals with a view to the ICC World T20 scheduled to take play in Australia from October 18 to November 15.

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Ireland to play Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Test format in 2020:

Afghanistan and Ireland have been assigned only one-off Tests for the next five years, barring a two-match series between Afghanistan and Zimbabwe in 2021. Now, it will be in jeopardy, as Zimbabwe is facing a tough time within the board.

Recently, Sri Lanka faced England team in Test format at Lords, where they almost sealed the Test match. However, the brilliance from England bowlers took the game away from Ireland. Following the Test, they will play Sri Lanka and New Zealand apart from fixtures against West Indies, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

Sri Lanka was scheduled to tour Zimbabwe in January 2020 for 2 Tests, but with the ICC suspending Zimbabwe Cricket for political interference in the running of the affairs of their cricket in July this year that series is definitely out.

In order to maintain the schedules in the right method, the Sri Lankan cricket board is looking to replace Zimbabwe Test with Ireland Test, which is actually scheduled to play in February. However, now, after the new change, Sri Lanka will start their 2020 season with the one-off Test facing Ireland.

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Recently, Sri Lanka signed an agreement to tour Pakistan to play in a limited-overs format of the game. In exchange, Islanders asked Pakistan to visit Sri Lanka in order to play a couple of Tests, which will be part of ICC World Test Championship.