Ireland's second one-day game in their series against United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi on Sunday has been postponed after a third player from the host side tested positive for Covid-19.
Alishan Sharafu tested positive after making his ODI debut in UAE's six-wicket win over the Irish on Friday. Vice-captain Chirag Suri and Aryan Lakra have also returned positive tests since Wednesday.
The series resumes on Tuesday (12 January) with further games on Thursday and Saturday.The hosts clinched a six-wicket win in Friday's opener despite a century from Ireland vice-captain Paul Stirling.
Eurosport and Eurosport HD India, the premium sports channels from the house of Discovery, is broadcasting the bilateral ODI series which will be Associate Member UAE’s first with a full member team following the enforced break for the pandemic.
After the four-match UAE series, Ireland face Afghanistan in three World Cup Super League games which will also take place in Abu Dhabi. The dates for these games were also adjusted last week because of the delayed arrival of the Afghanistan squad and quarantine regulations.
The series was scheduled to begin on 18 January but will now instead start three days later following a request by the Afghanistan Cricket Board with the remaining games taking place on 24 and 26 January.
"We have both agreed the safest course of action is to postpone the second ODI scheduled for tomorrow. We hope to play this match on the 16th of January, all going well," said Cricket Ireland's high performance director Richard Holdsworth on Saturday.
John Stephenson
john@cricketinvestor.co.uk
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