KARACHI: Although Ireland has shown interest in touring Pakistan, but the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will not be able to host the cricket minnows for next one year because of a busy schedule ahead.

“West Indies recently toured Pakistan [for T20 Internationals] that went well. The country also hosted Pakistan Super League (PSL) matches in Lahore and Karachi. Ireland cricket team’s tour is quite possible,” Warren Deutrom, chief executive of Cricket Ireland was quoted as saying by a newspaper.

However, Deutrom added that the decision to tour Pakistan will be taken after consultation with ICC security and Pakistan. Currently, Pakistan team is in Britain and will also be playing a Test against Ireland from Friday in Dublin.

This is not the first time that Ireland has shown interest in touring Pakistan post 2009. Ireland nearly visited the country around four years back for a three-game ODI series but the negotiations between the two boards were hampered due to a terrorist attack at Karachi airport.

However, PCB chairman Najam Sethi has been quoted as saying by a section of media that Pakistan team has a busy year ahead and hosting Ireland in near future was on cards.

Pakistan don’t have a window available outside its FTP for a year.

Published in Dawn, May 10th, 2018