Cricket Ireland’s eagerness to move the matches across the Irish Sea is driven in part by the desire to boost attendance figures with UK-based Bangladesh and Irish fans.
The governing body also believe holding some of the games against Bangladesh in England will relieve financial concerns, and ease the strain on pitches, to enable more fixtures to be played across Ireland next summer.
Essex previously hosted an ODI series between Ireland and Bangladesh in May 2023 and are understood to have expressed their interest in hosting the T20 fixtures in Chelmsford this time around.
A collective 10,000 fans came through the gates at the County Ground for those ODIs a couple of years ago – one of which was lost to the weather – and included two sold-out fixtures.
Approximately 650,000 Bangladeshis live in the UK with many based in east London which is a short train or bus journey from the 6,500-capacity venue in Chelmsford.
The 2026 series is listed for August on the International Cricket Council’s Future Tours Programme but there is said to be some flexibility over scheduling.
Cricket Ireland have faced challenges with hosting matches on home turf in recent years due to financial and logistical pressures.
In 2024, Cricket Ireland cancelled a T20 and ODI series against Australia citing a lack of permanent facilities and the cost of temporary infrastructure.
They hope to have a new purpose-built stadium on the outskirts of Dublin completed by 2028.
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