Zimbabwe Cricket and Cricket Ireland yesterday agreed to postpone the planned six-match men’s series between the two sides scheduled to be played in Zimbabwe next month.
While there are no current Irish government travel restrictions or prohibitions relating to Zimbabwe, the two governing bodies believed the risk posed by travel and the fast-changing nature of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic required a prudent and safety-first approach to protect the health of players, coaching staff and fans.
Givemore Makoni, Acting Managing Director of Zimbabwe Cricket, said:
“We were looking forward to hosting Ireland in Bulawayo next month, but with the world in the throes of a public health emergency on a scale not witnessed in over a century, postponing the tour was the only reasonable decision.
“Indeed, the mutually agreed decision to postpone the series is the right thing to do, given the worsening Coronavirus pandemic and the overwhelming priority to safeguard the players, fans and the entire cricket community.
“We are looking to reschedule the tour once the pandemic has been brought under control.”
Warren Deutrom, Chief Executive of Cricket Ireland, said:
“This is the only reasonable decision in the circumstances, as we all play our part in containing the spread of COVID-19. We have taken the advice of Irish and British governments, as well as relevant health and sports bodies, and will take a safety-first approach to our operations over the coming weeks and months.
“Apart from the players and coaches, it is the families and social circles that we are conscious of, and to tour at this point would cause unnecessary risk to the wider community.
“We pass on our thanks to Givemore and all of Zimbabwe Cricket for so readily agreeing with this position, and we shall work with Zimbabwe Cricket to seek a new date for the tour when we are all in a position to plan for the future with greater certainty.”