UAE-Ireland Second ODI Gets A Go Ahead From Authorities

The second ODI between UAE and Ireland will take place on Monday after been given a green signal by the UAE authorities.

"Emirates Cricket Board is delighted to confirm that the fourth match in the Sky247.net Abu Dhabi ODI Series 2021 between the UAE and Ireland has been approved by the authorities to proceed tomorrow, Monday, January 18th," Emirates Cricket Board said in a statement.

"This closing match in the series will be played at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi, and will start at 09:30 (UAE Time). The match will be live-streamed in partnership with ITW Consulting and broadcast in India on EuroSports, Premier Sports in the UK, Criclife in the UAE and Willow TV in the USA," it added.

Earlier, two of the four scheduled matches weren't played because of Covid-19 health concerns.

Richard Holdsworth, High-Performance Director for Cricket Ireland, said in a statement: "We're delighted that the go-ahead has been granted for the rescheduled match, and the squad is looking forward to getting back into competitive action. It has been very disruptive for team planning and player preparation not knowing when the next game will be, but I know that Graham Ford and the squad will adapt and be pleased that there is a confirmed fixture now in place.

"As always, we appreciate the work of the Emirates Cricket Board in getting this game on, and look forward to seeing the lads back on the field as they look to square the series," he added.

The four-match series between UAE and Ireland began according to schedule on January 8. However, UAE's Chirag Suri and Aryan Lakra tested positive for Covid-19.

After that, more players tested positive for coronavirus over the next few days as the two boards had to postpone the second ODI. It was then supposed to be played on January 14 but got suspended. The series was then slated to resume on January 17, but even that game was suspended after the UAE public health directives didn't give the required permission.