Ireland's ODI & T20 tour of Zimbabwe postponed because of Covid-19 concerns

Ireland's white-ball tour of Zimbabwe has been postponed because of the Covid-19 situation in the country.

The Irish squad was set to travel to Harare in late March to play three Twenty20 matches before a three-game one-day international series.

Zimbabwe and Ireland's national cricket authorities have agreed to reschedule the tour for a later date, which has yet to be decided.

None of the postponed games were part of the World Cup Super League series.

The sides are scheduled to meet in Ireland this summer, with 30 qualifying points up for grabs as they chase an automatic qualification spot for the 2023 World Cup.

"We're obviously disappointed, but to be honest, it is not an unexpected announcement from our Zimbabwean counterparts," said Cricket Ireland's high performance director Richard Holdsworth.

"We appreciate their efforts and willingness to try to make the tour possible, but in the end the health and safety of players and support staff must be of primary consideration."

"We'll now look at whether alternate fixtures can be arranged during that period, which is a crucial window in advance of a busy home season and in a T20 World Cup year."

Ireland recently returned from the United Arab Emirates where they fell to a 3-0 ODI series defeat by Afghanistan.

Their full summer schedule is set to be released in April, with home series against South Africa and Zimbabwe planned.

This article originally appeared on BBC Sport

Photo: Sportsfile