Summary:
Dehradun: Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Dehradun will host its first test match that will be played between Afghanistan and Ireland from March 15.Afghanistan Cricket Board on Monday announced the programme of the month-long bilateral cricket series, from February 21 to March 19, between host Afghanistan and Ireland.The series will kick off with three T20 matches, followed by five one-day matches and ending with a test match.CEO of Afghanistan Cricket Board Shafiqullah Stanikzai said, “Initially, we planned to conclude the series on March 23 but keeping in mind the dates of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in which three main players from Afghanistan will be participating, the dates were slightly adjusted.”Stanikzai added that the series would be important for Afghanistan as it was in the preparation stage of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.Warren Deutrom, chief executive of Cricket Ireland, said, “The importance of this series to both nations cannot be understated, so it was important that we could ensure the fans did not miss out on a clash that will see best versus best in terms of players available.”Afghanistan is currently ranked 8th in T20 ranking list and 10th in ODIs whereas Ireland is ranked 17th in T20 and 12th in ODIs ranking..