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Wednesday, 8 July 2020 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
LONDON (Reuters): England will host Ireland in a three-match one-day international series starting on 30 July before taking on Pakistan in a packed summer calendar, the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Monday.
The Ireland squad will arrive in England and set up their base at the Ageas Bowl, Southampton on July 18, before facing world champions England in three ODIs at the same venue. The second and third ODIs between the two sides will be on 1 August and 4 August respectively.
Ireland, who last played an international against Afghanistan in March, have only beaten England once in their 10 ODI encounters. Visiting captain Andrew Balbirnie thanked the ECB for creating a bio-secure environment for the series, which represents Ireland’s first fixtures of the new World Cup Super League – the qualification process for the 2023 tournament.
“... Playing international cricket is a huge honour - and not only do we have that to look forward to now, but we’ll be taking on the world champions in their own backyard. That is the ultimate challenge – and we’ll be ready,” he said.
Pakistan, who arrived in England on June 28 to quarantine ahead of the bilateral series, will face the hosts in three tests and three Twenty20 internationals. The first test will be played from 5-9 August at Old Trafford, before the teams head to Southampton for the second (13-17 August) and then third test (21-25 August).
The three T20 matches will be played at Old Trafford, with the opening game scheduled for 28 August.
England return to action following the COVID-19 stoppage with three tests against West Indies, with the first match scheduled to begin in Southampton on Wednesday without fans in attendance.
“It has taken significant effort and expertise to allow us to reach a position where cricket is now ready and able to return to the field of play from the elite level to recreational cricket,” ECB Chief Executive Tom Harrison said in a statement.
“We owe a significant debt of gratitude to the players, staff and administrators of the Cricket West Indies, Cricket Ireland, and the Pakistan Cricket Board for their willingness and co-operation to get international cricket back up and running.”
The ECB confirmed it was also exploring options to host England’s limited-overs series against Australia this summer.
