| Irish cricket team in the UAE in 2020–21 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 |  | ||
| United Arab Emirates | Ireland | ||
| Dates | 8 – 18 January 2021 | ||
| Captains | Ahmed Raza | Andrew Balbirnie | |
| One Day International series | |||
| Results | 4-match series drawn 1–1 | ||
| Most runs | Chundangapoyil Rizwan (110) | Paul Stirling (135) | |
| Most wickets | Ahmed Raza (3) Zahoor Khan (3) | Simi Singh (5) | |
| Player of the series | Curtis Campher (Ire) | ||
The Ireland cricket team toured the United Arab Emirates in January 2021 to play four One Day International (ODI) matches between 8 and 18 January 2021. [1] [2] The matches served as preparation for Ireland's World Cup Super League fixtures against Afghanistan in the UAE. [3] [4] [5]
Contents
In the first fixture, the UAE won by six wickets to record their first win against Ireland in an ODI match. [6] The second match of the series was originally scheduled to take place on 10 January 2021. [7] However, following a positive test for COVID-19 within the UAE team, [8] the match was rescheduled for 16 January 2021. [9] Two UAE cricketers had also tested positive ahead of the first ODI match. [10] On 11 January 2021, a fourth positive case was reported in the UAE squad. [11] [12] The Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) issued a statement saying that the match scheduled to take place on 12 January 2021 had been suspended. [13] [14]
On 13 January 2021, the ECB issued a further statement saying that the third ODI, scheduled to be played the following day, had also been suspended. [15] No new COVID-19 cases had been reported, and the ECB and Cricket Ireland were continuing their discussions with regard to rescheduling the affected matches. [16] Despite no new cases, [17] the fourth match was suspended on 15 January 2021. [18] Both cricket boards were looking at the possibility of playing a match on 18 January 2021. [19] On 17 January 2021, it was confirmed that a second ODI match would be played the following day. [20] Ireland won the rescheduled ODI by 112 runs, therefore drawing the series 1–1. [21]
