West Indies and England to Tour Ireland in 2025

Cricket Ireland confirmed on Tuesday (March 11) that West Indies, England, Zimbabwe Women, and Pakistan Women will tour Ireland in the summer of this year. The board also announced that the Women’s team would participate in the ODI World Cup qualifiers next month in Pakistan from April 4, playing against Pakistan, West Indies, Bangladesh, Thailand, and Scotland.

The men’s team is set to host West Indies for a three-match ODI series in Clontarf in late May, followed by a three-match T20I series in Bready in June. After these series, Irish players will participate in the European T20 Premier League in July-August. England will then tour Ireland for their first-ever bilateral T20I series in September.

The Women’s team will also engage in a series of T20 internationals, including five against Zimbabwe and three against Pakistan in July-August. Cricket Ireland also confirmed that Ireland Wolves will play Afghanistan A in a four-day match in the UAE, which will be followed by a one-day tri-series also involving Sri Lanka A.

However, despite this busy schedule, the board announced the cancellation of the planned home series against Afghanistan. While pressure mounts on the ICC regarding women’s cricket in Afghanistan, Cricket Ireland stated that the series was cancelled solely for financial reasons.

Warren Deutrom, Chief Executive of Cricket Ireland, commented, “As we say: it’s summer, it must be cricket. And this summer Irish fans will have the opportunity to see some of the world’s best cricketers play here.” He added, “On the men’s side, we are hosting West Indies and England, and we will also welcome the women’s teams from Pakistan and Zimbabwe.”

Deutrom further explained, “One planned series that will not proceed due to financial constraints is the one against Afghanistan. This decision is part of our strategy to manage short-term budget limitations and to meet the Board’s requirement for balanced investment across the organization’s strategic goals.”