Ireland Wolves to arrive in Dhaka today

Ireland Wolves are scheduled to tour Dhaka today (Thursday) to play a bilateral series against host Bangladesh Emerging Cricket Team.

The tourists will play three different formats of the game including four-dayer, one day and Twenty20 matches in the month-long tour which will be played in between February and March. Keeping the ensuing tour of Bangladesh ahead, Cricket Ireland (CI) meanwhile announced their discrete teams for the white-ball and red-ball cricket. But four-day match captain George Dockrell pulled out his name from the tour before coming here in Bangladesh.

The CI confirmed the news of Dockrell’s pullout from the Bangladesh tour citing personal fears and Covid-related concerns though the board is yet to name the player who will be sent to the tour in place of Docrell. Later Ruhan Pretorius has been named as Dockrell’s replacement.

Head coach Pete Johnston followed Dockrell as he also withdrew his name from the month-long Bangladesh tour. Graham Ford and Stuard Barnes will supervise the Wolves as coaches in place of Pete Johnston against host Bangladesh during the tour. Chief selector Andrew White congratulated them on their decision.

“We completely respect the decision of George not to opt in and fully understand Pete’s decisions based around family circumstances. The playing and coaching group have been busy preparing for the trip in line with Covid protocols and we look forward to a competitive month of cricket ahead,” Andrew White said.

Dhaka and Chattogram will host all the matches of the Emerging Team’s series, which will be decided in two phases. The visitors will launch its mission from Chattogram with a four-day match, which will be held at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium on February 26.

They will then face off in a five-match one day series, three of which will be played at the ZACS on March 5, 7 and 9 respectively.

Both Bangladesh and Ireland will travel back Dhaka for the second phase, where they will play the remaining matches of the one day series, which will be played at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on March 12 and 14 correspondingly, coupled with a two-match Twenty20 series. However, Bangladesh cricket Board (BCB) also named their squad for the home series against Ireland Wolves.

The visitors will play T20 matches at the same ground on March 17 and 18 before ending their month-long Bangladesh tour.

Ireland Wolves squad:

Harry Tector (captain), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Peter Chase, Gareth Delany, Stephen Doheny, Jonathan Garth, Shane Getkate, Graham Hume, Jeremy Lawlor, Josh Little, James McCollum, Ruhan Pretorius, Neil Rock, Lorcan Tucker and Ben White.

Bangladesh Emerging Squad:

Saif Hassan, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Pavez Hossain Emon, Shahadat Hossain, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Towhid Hridoy, Anisul Islam, Shamim Hossain Patwary, Shafiqul Islam Emon, Mukidul Islam Mugdho, Shahin Alam, Sumon Khan, Noman Chowdhury Sagor, Rezaur Rahman Raza, Aminul Islam Biplob, Rakibul Hasan, Tanvir Islam, Rishad Hossain, Mahidul Islam Ankon and Akbar Ali