Ireland to tour Pakistan in 2027 [Source: AFP]Ireland’s long-awaited tour of Pakistan will begin in early 2027, after their white-ball assignment was postponed in 2025.The Irish were originally scheduled to travel to Pakistan in September-October 2025 for three ODIs and three T20Is, but the series was pushed back due to the Asia Cup and rescheduled to the upcoming Pakistani home summer.Notably, Ireland have never toured Pakistan for any bilateral series, making the upcoming assignment a significant step in strengthening their standing as a Full Member of the ICC.Pakistan to host Ireland in historic all-format tourJust days after Pakistan’s Test debacle in England, British journalist Nathan Johns has reported that Ireland will play Pakistan away from home in January 2027.Although the date sheet and any official word are awaited, what was originally a white-ball tour in 2025 will now be an all-format tour.The two teams will play a One-off Test match, alongside a bilateral T20I series and a Tri-Series in ODIs, where Zimbabwe is also set to be involved.Earlier in the summer, Nathan Johns also reported that Ireland and Pakistan are planning to play two Test matches in 2027. The first will be played in Pakistan, while the other will be played in Ireland.Under the World Test Championship format, neither Test will be part of the WTC cycle, and any wins would not help Pakistan improve their standing at the bottom of the table.Also Read: Babar Azam In Domestic Cricket- How Has The Pakistan Captain Fared?Has Pakistan played a Test against Ireland?Pakistan and Ireland have locked horns in white-ball cricket from time to time. The Irish have also famously beaten Pakistan in a high-profile World Cup 2007 match, which subsequently led to Pakistan getting grouped.So far, they have faced each other in 13 matches, including a solitary Test. Their only face-off in Test cricket was back in 2018, when Ireland had recently been given the ICC Full Member status and were playing their first-ever Test match.Dublin hosted the only Test the two teams played in 2018. Pakistan batted first in the match and defeated the hosts by 5 wickets after Ireland fought back after being asked to follow on.Pending official confirmation, the January 2027 Test will be the first Test between the sides on Pakistani soil.Why is Ireland's tour of Pakistan significant?Over the past 12 to 18 months, there have been a lot of discussions around including Zimbabwe, Ireland and Afghanistan in the World Test Championship.In the first four cycles, the three teams continued to play Test cricket, but the matches had a lot less riding on them, considering losses had no consequences. Additionally, teams like Pakistan and West Indies have dipped, and a two-tier format was also proposed.Hence, this series will give Ireland an immense opportunity to show how far they have come in red-ball cricket and whether they are ready for WTC or not.In addition to that, some smaller teams made big sides struggle in the past T20 World Cup 2026, so the exposure of playing a big team will be important for their development. And finally, it is a World Cup year, and Ireland will play the Qualification tournament, making the Pakistan tour a good platform to prepare on.Also Read: Ajit Agarkar's Fails To Get BCCI’s Faith! Set To Pick Last India Squad vs West Indies
