What does WTC inclusion mean for Ireland?

Plus: Abbotstown latest and Sarah Keane speaks for the first time since CEO appointment

Ireland can expect to play higher-ranked sides like Bangladesh more often in the new World Test Championship. 📸: BCB

Tuesday was the busiest Irish cricket day in recent memory.

Ireland’s return to the Test stage after a near nine-month gap was a standalone event worth a day’s coverage in and of itself. Then Cricinfo decided to publish one heck of a scoop: post the 2027 cycle, the World Test Championship will be expanded to include all 12 ICC full members - Ireland included.

There has been plenty of recent criticism of Irish matches in any format, let alone Tests, lacking context to draw in anyone but the truest of diehards. In theory, this development goes a long way to alleviating that problem. The significance of Ireland’s WTC inclusion is difficult to overstate.

Then the Irish government, in all likelihood forgetting that the cricketing news cycle would be busy enough as it is with a Test match on, announced that Abbotstown had received planning permission for the first stage of its development.

Just for good measure, Tuesday evening also saw Sarah Keane give her first interview since being announced as Cricket Ireland’s incoming CEO.

All in a day’s work.

Given the Test was on and deserved sufficient attention (we all know we don’t get many red ball games), an exploration of the off-field news items could wait. Time was also needed to gather more information - particularity on the WTC front

With that in mind, plenty of questions are worth asking based on what we now know. Starting with the WTC, what impact will this have on Irish cricket?

The original Cricinfo story, while certainly encouraging, was light on detail. After the 2027 WTC final, the new cycle will be one division of all 12 Test nations - Ireland, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe added to the nine current participants. The previously floated idea of two-divisions with promotion and relegation has been shot down. Bigger countries were afraid of a bad cycle seeing them relegated and diminishing the value of their TV rights.

Figures with knowledge of the ICC discussions confirmed that this will be the structure, but plenty of detail remains to be agreed. It is expected that the whole thing will be confirmed in March. It has to be as conversations around the next Future Tours Programme (the draft schedule of who plays who over a four-year cycle) need to be concluded.

Some involved in the planning warn that it would only take a handful of countries to change their mind for things to change between now and March. Regardless, there is a level of optimism that this is a positive development for Ireland.

It would appear to be so, only not to the extent that perhaps some fans would envisage. It is very unlikely that Ireland will be playing five-Test series against England, India or Australia. Even three-game contests against opposition of this calibre aren’t seen as desirable by those on the Irish side.

The benefit of the two-tier idea would be that Ireland plays against countries close to their own level. While there is a commercial benefit to playing the big three from an Irish perspective, without a proper domestic red ball structure, it does them little cricketing good to be used as cannon fodder over a lengthy series. As far as the big three are concerned, a multi-game series against Ireland won’t do a lot for them commercially, either in terms of ticket sales or - more importantly - broadcast revenue.

CI would rather play the likes of England in a one-off Test away from home. At present, the ECB’s home broadcast deal is for six Tests each summer. In 2026, that will be two three-match series against Pakistan and New Zealand. In years when there are five-Test affairs - ie when India and Australia are in town - England are left with a lone Test slot to fill. Ireland see themselves as a strong candidate to fill that, akin to how they did in 2023, as it’s logistically easier for them to justify travel to the UK for just one match compared to any other nation. It should be said that Zimbabwe jumped at this opportunity during the 2025 summer, despite the significantly longer travel time.

The fixture model is set to see Ireland play the big three nations as a novelty, with more regular games against lower-ranked countries. This will not be an egalitarian league where everyone plays each other.

Nor will it be egalitarian in the volume of matches. Plenty of people moaned that South Africa reached the recent WTC final after 12 games whereas India (19), New Zealand (14) and England (22) all missed out. The logic here is that it giving ‘worse’ teams fewer games ensures they have a greater chance of making a surprise run. That South Africa ended up winning the whole thing pushes back on that logic slightly.

Nevertheless, a similar system will be in play post 2027. England, given the popularity of Test cricket in their market, will continue to play more games than everyone else. Ireland are anticipating playing around 12 games in a two-year cycle. This, in theory, would lead to six Tests on Irish soil every campaign.

That’s the good news. Here are the bits which could burst a few bubbles.

The biggest question focuses on affordability. The ICC will not be introducing any new funds to help countries like Ireland host Test match cricket. At present, CI is nowhere close to a strong enough financial position to host six red ball games each cycle. They need a number of things to go their way already just to play two on home soil in 2026 - and even then it seems more likely that the May date with New Zealand in Stormont will be the lone international red ball game to be played in Ireland.

Figures within CI have acknowledged the challenge facing them to bring the organisation into a position where such a financial burden won’t bankrupt Irish cricket. The first summer of the cycle, roughly July 2027 onwards, is set to be the main issue as Abbotstown won’t be up and running by then. Maybe they can play some international cricket there in 2028. 2029 is a safer bet. Eliminating the costs of temporary infrastructure in Malahide will make six Tests infinitely more affordable, but what happens before then is anyone’s guess.

At present, initial plans focus on increasing broadcast revenue. Administrators are hopeful that more Tests with context build up a captive audience which attracts more broadcasters - driving up competition and therefore revenue.

When it comes to TV money, what is seen as a more important ‘win’ within the offices of CI is the impending return of the ODI Super League. Cricinfo also reported that the four-year competition which previously determined 50-over World Cup competition is also set to return. This is a more egalitarian structure; in the most recent version which finished in 2023, eight of the 13 teams (12 Test nations plus the Dutch) played the same number of games (24). Ireland also played eight of the other 12 teams in the competition, likely a higher total than what they can expect in the WTC.

Akin to the last Super League but unlike the upcoming WTC, every series in the new 50-over competition is expected to be three-matches. This guarantees Ireland three games against a number of highly ranked teams. In the 2020-2023 cycle, Ireland played New Zealand, England and South Africa across a trio of matches. Such certainty is easier to sell to broadcasters, and therefore more valuable as far as CI is concerned. It may well be a case that the Super League certainty goes a long way to paying for WTC hosting duties - at least until Abbotstown is built.

If affordability is one criticism of the new WTC, competitive context is another strong one. Even if the whole thing is designed to end meaningless red ball cricket. While there is a league table which will see movement up and down after every contest, the reality is teams like Ireland will only be competing to avoid finishing last.

That South Africa made the most recent WTC final, let alone won the thing, shocked plenty. Years where two of India, Australia and maybe England (if they start taking the competition seriously) don’t contest the final will be the exception rather than the norm. Maybe South African and New Zealand can cause the odd upset. Perhaps Pakistan too if they ever get their act together.

That leaves everyone else - Ireland, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, West Indies, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe competing for… what exactly? Is the moniker of ‘best of the rest’ enough to captivate the cricketing public and convince broadcasters to fork out for games? That remains to be seen. This is where a two-tier structure, a second division in which Ireland could feasibly compete if they introduce better domestic red ball structures, made more competitive sense. Sadly, there were too many powerful nations worried about falling into this tier to allow it to come to fruition.

Overly quibbling about the above, namely the imperfect structure, questionable finances and lack of competitive context for most participating sides, would be to let the perfect be the enemy of the good enough. Ireland has been crying out for a path to meaningful, affordable Test cricket. This WTC structure won’t get them there in 2027, but it least makes it marginally more likely that they will achieve such a goal within our lifetime.

Abbotstown

While Tuesday’s announcement of planning permission being granted for Abbotstown was a significant milestone, it was light on any new information. Bear in mind Sport Ireland owns the land where the stadium is to be built, and most of the neighbours are other sporting bodies. It would be a dick move for the FAI to object to CI’s stadium. Stranger things have happened, I suppose.

Figures within CI see it as important that the two ministers for sport, Patrick O’Donovan and Charlie McConalogue, were both quoted extensively in the announcement. The more they talk about it, the harder it is for them to row back on the commitment to build the thing.

What is new information, and wasn’t announced in the Sport Ireland release, is that the first sod has been turned on the stadium’s former site. An archaeological excavation has already began to ensure nothing important is set to be built on top of.

A digger works at the site of a cricket stadium in Abbotstown, Dublin.

Sarah Keane

For the first time since being announced as Warren Deutrom’s replacement atop CI’s day-to-day staff, Sarah Keane spoke to the press. She appeared on RTÉ Radio One’s new sports show with Marie Crowe.

The chat was largely based on her swimming career, given the success Ireland have had in the pool in recent years. There was just one question about cricket specifically. Presumably, readers of this site want to hear more from her on her plans in this sport, and we certainly will push to speak to her.

Intriguingly, she did mention a “European league,” which would suggest she’s as on board with the ETPL concept as those at CI who failed to get it off the ground.

You can listen to the full chat here, but a transcript of what she said about cricket can be found below:

“I’m very excited by the prospect, it was just announced today that the final phase of planning for the national cricket stadium in Abbotstown has been granted. Cricket is in the Olympics in 2028, the Irish team has to qualify. There are a lot of conversations about a European league, we’re hosting the ICC World Cup in 2030, but I think for me there are other things around it.

“There’s a huge diversity in Irish cricket which I think is very exciting, though we do have more to do on the female side to get more women playing cricket. There’s a lot of opportunities on the commercial side, it is a major global sport, but look, for me at the moment I’m very invested in Swim Ireland and Irish aquatics.

“I’m delighted I get to stay in Irish sport, I’m hugely ambitious for Irish sport as a whole.”