Ireland’s inaugural Test match to be played in May next year

Ireland will play its inaugural Test match against Pakistan from May 11 to 15 in 2018 as the venue for the historic game is yet to be finalised. The Test match was confirmed earlier this month but the dates weren’t announced by the Ireland Cricket Board. The occasion will mark as a huge one in the history of the cricket in the country and they would surely love to make it a memorable one for their fans. Afghanistan is the other team who had received the International Test status this year and are most likely to play their first Test match against Zimbabwe in Sharjah.

The board also confirmed that the decision would be taken in the coming weeks. Malahide in Dublin is the most likely venue to be finalised but Belfast ground Stormont is also in the race. However, Stormont came under the severe criticism when the one-off One-Day International between Ireland and Windies last month was washed out with heavy overnight rain ruining the prospect of play despite a sunny morning in Belfast.

Fantastic news for Irish cricket

When the Test match against Pakistan was confirmed earlier this month, the skipper William Porterfield expressed his happiness, “It’s fantastic news for Irish cricket. It’s going to be a bit special and it’s always great to be a part of history. There’s a special affinity between ourselves and Pakistan going back to the 2007 World Cup and they’ve been regular tourists here over the past decade,” he had said.

“Test cricket is the pinnacle of our sport and I know how much this game will mean to not only the players but all involved with Irish cricket. It’ll be another step on what has been an incredible journey for our sport in a relatively short passage of time.” I’m certain there will be an incredible atmosphere from both sets of fans who will be keen to witness a piece of history,” Porterfield looked confident of a good show.