Cricket: Ireland named as co-host of 2030 T20 World Cup

Action from a 2018 One-Day International between Ireland and Afghanistan at Stormont, one of four international grounds on the island.Picture: Seb Daly/Sportsfile

Ireland is set to co-host the 2030 Men's T20 World Cup with England and Scotland, the International Cricket Council have announced.

While not set in stone just yet, the joint-bid of the three countries is the preferred bid of the world governing body.

There was one match at the 1999 Cricket World Cup that took place in Clontarf when Bangladesh took on the West Indies but this marks the first time multiple games at a global event will take place on these shores.

There are currently four grounds in the country that can host international cricket - Clontarf, Malahide, Stormont and Bready.

The ICC on Tuesday announced their preferred hosts for the next eight global events after the 2023 World Cup in India.

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After the disappointment of being knocked out in the first round of the recently concluded World T20, the news is a timely boost for Irish cricket.

“We are delighted to be named as a preferred co-host of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2030 – this is great news for Irish cricket fans who will be able to see some of the world’s best cricketers playing in the most dynamic format of the game on Irish shores," said Warren Deutrom, Chief Executive of Cricket Ireland.

“While we have hosted several ICC qualifier tournaments in the past and of course a 1999 World Cup fixture in Clontarf, this will be the first time multiple matches in a major world cricket event will feature in Ireland.

“We appreciate that there are still a number of details to clarify around hosting arrangements, not just for the co-hosts but also to enable our Government partners to move beyond in-principle support, but today’s announcement gives a greenlight for those discussions to begin in earnest. We believe the enormous global exposure of one of world’s major sporting events will provide a huge boost for not just the sport on this island, but also the country through local economic impact and visibility in major tourism and economic markets.

“Working closely on the bid with the England & Wales Cricket Board and Cricket Scotland was a pleasure, and I thank the respective bid teams in our partner Boards for their great professionalism in putting together such a compelling case. We now look forward to working closely with them and our Government partners over the coming years to ensure that our eventual staging of whichever matches we host will be as world-class as the bid we submitted.”

The USA and Namibia, who knocked Ireland out of this year's World T20, will also co-host events for the first time in the coming years. America will share the 2024 World T20 with the West Indies while the African nation will host games at the 2027 50-over World Cup along with South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Afghanistan are the only full member of the ICC not awarded hosting or co-hosting rights to a global event in the roadmap set out on Tuesday

Hosts of the 50-over World Cup in 2023, India will also host the same tournament eight years later with Bangladesh.