Ireland considering postponing home bilateral series against Australia due to financial reasons
Ireland's first-ever bilateral series against Australia may not be held along expected lines as the hosts are facing financial issues. The Aussies were scheduled to tour Ireland for a white-ball series comprising three ODIs and a sole T20I, as per the Future Tour Programme (FTP).
However, with only months remaining for the series, Ireland have run into a wall in terms of their finances due to home fixture congestion. The European nation have a busy schedule on their home turf coming up in the lead-up to the 2024 T20 World Cup, commencing with a T20I series against Pakistan, followed by matches against South Africa and Zimbabwe. They will also play a Test against Zimbabwe.
Ireland, who recently secured their first win in the longest format against Afghanistan, last hosted a Test in 2018.
"What we had in the FTP as a whole... it's a real challenge to deliver all of it. We've got almost too much cricket for the amount of venues that we've got. Costs of putting on games in Ireland have gone up considerably since Covid. Hotel prices, putting up temporary infrastructure for grounds have gone up astronomically." Cricket Ireland high performance director Richard Holdsworth told ESPNcricinfo.
Apart from the aforementioned matches, the Ireland women's team are also scheduled to play home matches against England, Sri Lanka, and the Netherlands.
"If we had more revenues coming in this year, there's no question that we could have been able to deliver more" - Cricket Ireland director
ICC's controversial revenue-sharing model has seen its fair share of issues already, and Cricket Ireland believes that had they had access to their full allocation, they would not have been forced into postponing the home series against Australia.
According to the new distribution model, some of the funds allocated to the members will be assembled in a retained surplus fund that amounts to close to $100 million per year, which could find its way back to the members at a later time.
"It has meant that our budget is not as great as we thought it would be," Holdsworth said. "If we had more revenues coming in this year, there's no question that we could have been able to deliver more."
Ireland are set to request a reduction of the percentage of the funds allocated for the retained surplus fund, with other nations like Afghanistan and Zimbabwe desiring the same. The issue is likely to be brought up in the next ICC meeting in Dubai, scheduled for next week.
Devoid of their full funds, Ireland are in a tricky state, and they have ruled out hosting Australia in a county ground in England as well due to their busy schedule.
"England have a really heavy schedule around that time, and we certainly wouldn't be considering playing the likes of Australia at a very small county ground," he said. "We're still looking at all options in terms of whether or not we can host [Australia] this summer or whether we move [them] into a different part of the FTP," Holdsworth concluded.
Ireland have previously played as the home side in Chelmsford and Bristol, and such a provision would have augured well for Australia as well as they are scheduled to play a white-ball series (five ODIs and three T20Is) in England in September 2024.