UAE-Ireland ODI to be played on Monday
Jan 17, 2021
Abu Dhabi [UAE], January 17 : After being postponed a few times, the second ODI between UAE and Ireland is all set to be played on Monday, with the UAE authorities giving the go-ahead for the resume competitive action.
"UAE authorities have given the go-ahead for the UAE squad to resume competitive action, and a second men's one-day international between UAE and Ireland will be played tomorrow (18 January), after two of the four matches scheduled could not proceed as planned due to COVID-19 health concerns," Cricket Ireland said in a statement.
Richard Holdsworth, High-Performance Director for Cricket Ireland, said: "We're delighted that the go-ahead has been granted for the rescheduled match, and the squad is looking forward to getting back into competitive action."
"It has been very disruptive for team planning and player preparation not knowing when the next game will be, but I know that Graham Ford and the squad will adapt and be pleased that there is a confirmed fixture now in place. As always, we appreciate the work of the Emirates Cricket Board in getting this game on, and look forward to seeing the lads back on the field as they look to square the series," Holdsworth added.
Earlier, the match was slated to take place on Saturday but it was postponed.
"While the Emirates Cricket Board has encouragingly reported there are still no new cases of COVID-19 amongst its playing staff, UAE public health directives will still not permit a resumption of competitive action between UAE and Ireland at this stage. Both the ECB and Cricket Ireland have agreed to suspend Saturday's scheduled ODI, however, hopes remain that a match may still be possible on Monday," Cricket Ireland said on Friday.
Last week, the second ODI was postponed after Alishan Sharafu tested positive for coronavirus. He was the third member of the UAE squad to return a positive result, following Chirag Suri and Aryan Lakra.
