The Sunday Mail
Don Makanyanga
IRELAND men’s cricket tour to Zimbabwe has become the latest to be bowled out by the Covid-19 pandemic, with the series, scheduled for March and April, being postponed.
The Irish cricket squad was expected in the country on March 28 for a three-match T20I series, followed by a three-match ODI series in April.
But it emerged Tuesday that the tour has now been cancelled, with both associations agreeing to reschedule the tour to a later date.
Despite the Irish being disappointed by the tour cancelation, they praised their Zimbabwean counterparts for putting the health of the players first.
“We are obviously disappointed, but to be honest, it is not an unexpected announcement from our Zimbabwean counterparts. We appreciate their efforts and willingness to try and make the tour possible, but in the end, the health and safety of players and support staff must be of primary consideration,” said Richard Holdsworth, the high-performance director for Cricket Ireland.
The postponed ODIs will, however, not have an effect on the ICC World Cup Super League.
Despite suffering the setback of the postponement of the Irish tour, Zimbabwe’s Chevrons have continued to be hard at work as they prepare to leave for their matches against Afghanistan.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced that the matches will take place from March 2 to March 20 in United Arab Emirates.
Previously, the ACB had chosen Oman as the venue for the five fixtures but have now opted for the UAE.
“As per the Future Tours Programme (FTP), Afghanistan Cricket Board will host Zimbabwe for two test and three T20 series which will (be) held from 2nd to 20th March 2021 in UAE. The matches are part of the bilateral series between the two countries.’’
