The event which is scheduled to take place between 16 October and 13 November next year will see a total of 45 matches hosted across Adelaide, Brisbane, Geelong, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 Final will be hosted under lights at the MCG on 13 November 2022.

The semi-finals will be hosted at the Sydney Cricket Ground and Adelaide Oval on 9 and 10 November, respectively.

Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 champions Australia and runner-up New Zealand plus Afghanistan, Bangladesh, England, India, Pakistan and South Africa as the next highest-ranked teams will gain direct entry into the Super 12 stage of the next instalment of the competition.

Namibia, Scotland, Sri Lanka and the West Indies will play in Round 1.

The four remaining spots at Australia 2022 will be filled via the ongoing qualification pathway, culminating in two global qualifying tournaments one to take place in Oman in February and the other in Zimbabwe in June/July.

Ireland will be among the teams aiming for a spot in the next World Cup after failing to get past the group stage of this year’s tournament.

For more information on the pathway click here.

Head of Events, Chris Tetley said: “We are looking forward to seeing the return of ICC events to Australia and are delighted to announce the seven host cities for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022. Following the success of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2020 and a two-year postponement, our sights are now firmly set on planning for the 2022 event in collaboration with the LOC.

“With 12 teams already confirmed in the line-up, we eagerly await the culmination of the qualification process to see which other teams will join them.”

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Ireland lost to Namibia by eight wickets in a ‘winner-takes-all’ clash which sees them bow out of the tournament after two consecutive losses.

The opponents took eight wickets off of Balbirnie’s team and the Irish bowlers could not keep Gerhard Erasmus and David Wiese at bay.

Balbirnie spoke at the post-match press conference on Friday and put his trust in the Ireland squad after failing to reach the Super 12.

“At the end of the day, it’s only a game,” the Ireland captain said. “We’re bitterly disappointed and the guys are bitterly disappointed back home but we are moving in the right direction, I feel.

“We’ve got a good, young squad who are hungry to learn. It wasn’t our day today, and so be it.

“We’ve had some great days in the last couple of years and today wasn’t one of them but, yeah look, fair play to Namibia and the way they played today.”

Ireland slowed down after a strong Powerplay courtesy of Paul Stirling and Kevin O’Brien and Namibia held them to 125 runs over the 20 overs, taking eight wickets to lessen their power.

Wiese and captain Erasmus played brilliantly for Namibia once again as they recorded their second win in a row.

The men in green could not stop Erasmus as he posted an unbeaten half-century, leading the charge for the African nation.

However, Balbirnie praised the performances of his team’s bowlers throughout the T20 World Cup.

“They have had a superb week. Josh [Little] certainly has been the leader of the pack but he has been brilliantly backed up by Curtis [Campher], Mark [Adair] and Craig [Young].

“Craig obviously missed the first game and came back and bowled really well in the second game.

“So yeah, we have a good bit of depth in our seam attack now. We’ve got to bring it altogether whenever we play these big games and put in that performance that warrants getting into the next phase, and I think our performance today doesn’t do that and that’s the disappointing thing – we’re gonna go back disappointed in the way we performed.”

He believes that the team can only grow from their experience at the World Cup this year and noted that he sees them improving every day.

“Our T20 cricket has been inconsistent and it has been a big issue and you can say this tournament has been inconsistent for us but guys are improving – I’ve seen it day in, day out.

“They’re a young and inexperienced squad and they’re gonna learn from this. They’re gonna hurt from this of course, like all of us but we’ve gotta keep moving forward and keep trying to adapt our game.

“We came up short today, but I know the guys, once we have a week or two off back home,will want to improve their skills so that [when] the next time comes round, they’ll be better for it.”

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The loss to Sri Lanka on Wednesday means that Ireland must beat Namibia if they are to be part of the Super 12.

Namibia made history when they beat the Netherlands on Wednesday to claim their first-ever victory at an ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

This year’s instalment of the World Cup is their debut in the competition and they will want to make the most of the chance they have to progress.

The winner will move on to the next round to meet New Zealand, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and the highest-ranked side in Group B (currently Scotland).

Bowler Josh Little was a bright spark for Ireland in the heavy loss on Wednesday and his captain Andrew Balbirnie thinks that the Dubliner has been fantastic for the national side in the past year.

The 21-year-old returned career-best figures of four for 23 in Abu Dhabi, which featured two wickets in his first over and took his 2021 T20I wicket tally to 12 from nine matches.

Balbirnie said: “Josh Little bowled to his plans and he has been a real find for us this year, he has bowled beautifully for us up top and we put them in real trouble…Josh is a huge asset. He has been a force in ODI cricket this year and really come to the fore.”

Head coach Graham Ford has said that his side are “desperate” to progress to the Super 12 with a win over Namibia.

Ford said: “I think for us, we come to the tournament with a slightly different view to some of the bugger countries, in that we are gaining and learning with every single outing – trying to make as much progress in our cricket as possible.

“So, every game is important as far as that is concerned – to try and make those little improvements here and there and to sharpen our skills, and adapt to the extra pace in the pitches.

“Win or lose, we are gaining and we are learning, so that’s a big plus for us – but quite obviously we are desperate to go through to the next phase of the tournament as well.

“Despite the loss [yesterday] we are still alive and still in the competition, and that’s the important thing.”

Teams

Namibia: Gerhard Erasmus (C), Stephan Baard, Michau Du Preez, Zane Green, Bernard Scholtz, JJ Smit, Michael Van Lingen, Craig Williams, Karl Birkenstock, Jan Frylink, Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Ben Shikongo, Ruben Trumpelmann, David Weise, David Wiese, Pikky Ya France.

Ireland: Andrew Balbirnie (C), Mark Adair, Gareth Delany, Joshua Little, Kevin O’Brien, Simi Singh, Harry Tector, Benjamin White, Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Andy McBrine, Neil Rock, Paul Stirling, Lorcan Tucker, Craig Young.

Where To Watch

The match will start at 11 am and will be available to watch on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Cricket – coverage begins at 10:30 am.

You can keep track of the live score on the ICC website and Cricket Ireland will provide Twitter updates throughout the match.

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Little returned career-best figures of four for 23 in Abu Dhabi, which featured two wickets in his first over, but could not prevent Sri Lanka from winning by 70 runs to secure their own safe passage to the next round.

The 21-year-old left-armer might have been on the losing side here but his performance was impressive, taking his 2021 T20I wicket tally to 12 from nine matches.

He delivered two brilliant balls to clean bowl both Dinesh Chandimal and Avishka Fernando with back-to-back deliveries as Sri Lanka stumbled to eight for three and later removed Pathum Nissanka for 61 and Bhanuka Rajapaksa for just one.

In between, Nissanka and Wanindu Hasaranga put on a partnership of 123 for the fourth wicket to rebuild Sri Lanka’s innings and they eventually made 171 for seven.

The Lions then bowled Ireland out for 101 but Balbirnie was quick to praise Little after the match.

“I was excited at eight for three,” he said. “Josh Little bowled to his plans and he has been a real find for us this year, he has bowled beautifully for us up top and we put them in real trouble.

“But the way their guys came out and played was really impressive and took the innings away from us in the middle. But I thought we came back quite well.

“Josh is a huge asset. He has been a force in ODI cricket this year and really come to the fore.

“He showed off those new-ball skills and attacked the stumps. On these wickets, he comes into his own.”

Balbirnie knows Ireland lost control of the match when Hasaranga was batting but praised his side for the way they fought back to take four wickets in the last five overs.

It was a different story with the bat, however, as openers Paul Stirling and Kevin O’Brien fell cheaply to leave them in trouble early.

When Curtis Campher was dismissed for 24, Ireland lost regular wickets and succumbed to defeat.

The Irish captain praised the Sri Lankan bowling that snuffed out any chance of a successful chase.

He also talked about his time at-bat, where he lead his team in runs with 41 from 39 balls.

“It was obviously nice to spend time in the middle tonight – I was hoping that I may have gone at a better rate, but with the small boundary on one side I always thought we were in the game.

“Unfortunately, we couldn’t get going today and that was largely down to a good Sri Lankan bowling attack.”

They now face a crucial game against Namibia – both teams have lost to Sri Lanka and beaten the Netherlands so far.

The winner of Friday’s clash between the two sides will progress to the Super 12s to meet New Zealand, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and the highest-ranked side in Group B (currently Scotland).

“We are excited, they are the games you want to play in when you grow up watching cricket and see the knock-out games. They are the ones we want to be part of, so we will rest up and be ready,” Balbirnie added.

“We started the week really well and put in some really good performances against the Dutch. We knew if we lost that game, we would be playing catch up.

“This is a good Sri Lanka team, I thought they batted and bowled really well. We started well with the ball and finished well with the ball but we could not really get it going with the bat.

“We have a massive game on Friday now and it is all to play for.”

Ireland will play Namibia in their final match in Group A on Friday morning at 11 am. Sky Sports will begin their coverage of the match in Ireland and the United Kingdom at 10:30 am.

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Ireland are currently competing in the group stage of the competition, in which the top two teams from both groups will enter the Super 12 with those teams that had already qualified.

The loss to Sri Lanka on Wednesday means that Ireland must beat Namibia if they are to be part of the Super 12 after the African nation beat the Netherlands on the same day.

The winner will progress to the next round to meet New Zealand, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and the highest-ranked side in Group B (currently Scotland).

At a press conference last night, Head Coach Graham Ford said: “I think for us, we come to the tournament with a slightly different view to some of the bugger countries, in that we are gaining and learning with every single outing – trying to make as much progress in our cricket as possible.

“So, every game is important as far as that is concerned – to try and make those little improvements here and there and to sharpen our skills, and adapt to the extra pace in the pitches.

“Win or lose, we are gaining and we are learning, so that’s a big plus for us – but quite obviously we are desperate to go through to the next phase of the tournament as well.

“Despite the loss [yesterday] we are still alive and still in the competition, and that’s the important thing.”

Captain Andrew Balbirnie also spoke on the 70-run defeat to Sri Lanka and noted that the team will have to adapt if they want to play top-level cricket on a consistent basis.

The captain said: “We don’t get wickets like this, or get pace like this too often back home, but the more we go up the levels and if we go through to next week it’s only going to get quicker and we need to find ways to cope with that pretty quickly.”

Ireland face Namibia in a ‘winner-takes-all’ clash at 11 am on Friday, October 22 – the match coverage in Ireland/UK is on Sky Sports from 10.30 am.

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Both sides won their first games in Group A and will be aiming to continue their strong starts and put one foot into the Super 12.

Ireland dismantled the Netherlands courtesy of some fantastic bowling – Curtis Campher took four wickets in four balls and the ever-consistent Mark Adair got three of his own.

The target of 106 was light work for the Irish as they surpassed it with 29 balls left to win their first match of this year’s T20 World Cup.

At a press conference on Monday night, Head Coach Graham Ford said: “On Sri Lanka, probably about half the squad I know pretty well, and the coach I know very well.

“We know they are going to be a very competitive and energetic unit – they have had previous successes in this format in previous years and previous T20 World Cups.

“So, it will be a huge game for us, but I think it will be a really exciting challenge – we’ll focus on going out and really enjoying this opportunity.”

Sri Lanka did not even need 75% of their overs to be victorious over Namibia in their first game.

The Namibians managed only 96 runs in the T20 World Cup debut before the tenth wicket in the final over.

The 2014 T20 World Champions reached triple digits after 13.3 overs to end the match early.

Maheesh Theekshana led the team with three wickets while Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Avishka Fernando went unbeaten at-bat to seal the win.

“They have a special group – and have some players that can do some unorthodox stuff – but our lads have a lot of information on them, and at the end of the day, it will be all about how we play on the day.

“We pitched up against the Netherlands with a real positive energy and commitment, and if we bring that again on Wednesday then we give ourselves a good chance.”

Squads

Sri Lanka: Dasun Shanaka (C), Charith Asalanka, Dinesh Chandimal, Wanindu Hasaranga, Avishka Fernando, Chamika Karunaratne, Pathum Nissanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dushmantha Chameera, Akila Dananjaya, Dhananjaya De Silva, Binura Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Kusal Perera, Maheesh Theekshana.

Ireland: Andrew Balbirnie (C), Mark Adair, Gareth Delany, Joshua Little, Kevin O’Brien, Simi Singh, Harry Tector, Benjamin White, Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Andy McBrine, Neil Rock, Paul Stirling, Lorcan Tucker, Craig Young.

Where To Watch

The match will start at 3 pm and will be available to watch on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Cricket – coverage begins at 2:30 pm.

You can keep track of the live score on the ICC website and Cricket Ireland will provide Twitter updates throughout the match.

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Graham Ford’s side comes into the tournament after warm-up wins over Papua New Guinea and Bangladesh.

Captain Andrew Balbirnie will lead Ireland out for their sixth-straight appearance at the T20 World Cup as the side look to do better than their last time out in 2016, where they finished winless and the second-worst team in the tournament.

The Netherlands are not as prepared for a T20 tournament as Ireland, with their last game in this format was the third of a series against Nepal in April.

The team coached by Ryan Campbell will play their first match since a four-wicket win over thier opponents today in a One Day International on June 7.

The Dutch have won seven out of the last eleven meetings with Ireland in T20s and will be in search of an eighth in twelve this morning.

This includes a 21-run victory in the semi-final of the 2019 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier.

Yet, the team sit five below Ireland in the T20I rankings in 17th.

The pair are in Group A with Namibia and Sri Lanka, with all four sides vying for a spot in the Super 12 stage of the World Cup.

Scotland and Oman picked up wins in their opening matches on Sunday and Ireland will aim to become the third side in the win column.

Teams

Ireland: Andrew Balbirnie (C), Mark Adair, Gareth Delany, Joshua Little, Kevin O’Brien, Simi Singh, Harry Tector, Benjamin White, Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Andy McBrine, Neil Rock, Paul Stirling, Lorcan Tucker, Craig Young.

Netherlands: Pieter Seelaar (C), Colin Ackermann, Ben Cooper, Scott Edwards, Fred Klaassen, Max O’Dowd, Logan Van Beek, Roelof Van Der Merwe, Philippe Boissevain, Bas De Leede, Brandon Glover, Stephan Myburgh, Ryan Ten Doeschate, Timm Van Der Gugten, Paul Van Meekeren.

Where To Watch

The match will be available to watch on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Cricket. You can keep track of the live score on the ICC website and Cricket Ireland will provide Twitter updates throughout the match.

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Ireland will play two days after their eight-wicket thrashing of Papua New Guinea and will be looking to keep the momentum going as they head into the World Cup.

Bangladesh were overpowered by Sri Lanka in a similar fashion as the side fell to them by four wickets with one over to spare.

The Irish performance included some strong bowling courtesy of Craig Young, Mark Adair and Ben White, who kept the Zimbabwean target low.

Young made Ireland’s first breakthrough with the dismissal of Tony Ura for two in the second over, and Charles Amini then fell for four to Simi Singh in the final over of the powerplay.

Ben White fired in a wide delivery to have Bau stumped for 12 in the 12th over, and the leg-spinner removed Vala minutes later for his second.

Jason Kila was White’s final victim, bowled for two after failing to connect from his sweep.

Mark Adair and Young joined in on the fun of targeting the stumps, with the remaining three wickets in the innings all bowled.

Captain Andrew Balbirnie and Curtis Campher took Ireland home with a substantial unbeaten partnership of 71, with both batters finishing on 42 not out after the national side lost Kevin O’Brien and Gareth Delany in the powerplay.

While the Ireland captain was more patient in batting for 46 deliveries, Campher provided power, cracking three fours and two sixes during his 35-ball stay.

Ireland will look to improve further upon their game and head into the World Cup in the best shape possible.

Squads

Ireland: Andrew Balbirnie (C), Mark Adair, Gareth Delany, Joshua Little, Kevin O’Brien, Simi Singh, Harry Tector, Benjamin White, Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Andy McBrine, Neil Rock, Paul Stirling, Lorcan Tucker, Craig Young.

Bangladesh: Mahmudullah (C), Afif Hossain, Mohammad Nain, Mushfiqur Rahim, Nasum Ahmed, Rubel Hossain, Shahim Hossain, Taksin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Mahedi Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mustafizur Rahman, Nurul Hasan, Shakib Al Hasan, Soumya Sarkar, Liton Das.

Match Info

The game will begin at 3 pm GMT and will be held in Dubai. Updates will be available throughout the match on the Cricket Ireland social media accounts.

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After PNG won the toss and chose to bat first, Craig Young made Ireland’s first breakthrough with the dismissal of Tony Ura for 2 in the second over, and Charles Amini then fell for 4 to Simi Singh in the final over of the powerplay. Sese Bau and Assad Vala – the skipper who top-scored with 32 – strung together a partnership of 23, but regular breakthroughs meant the PNG innings never caught fire.

Ben White fired in a wide delivery to have Bau stumped for 12 in the 12th over, and the leg-spinner removed Vala minutes later for his second. Jason Kila was White’s final victim, bowled for 2 after failing to connect from his sweep. Mark Adair and Young joined in on the fun of targeting the stumps, with the remaining three wickets in the innings all bowled.

PNG finished on 96-8, with White the pick of the bowlers, returning figures of 3-10 from four overs. Young too claimed a three-for, conceding 15 runs.

With the bat, Ireland lost Kevin O’Brien and Gareth Delany in the powerplay – aiming to go big over the off side, O’Brien (8 off 12) chopped on; Delany (5 off 7) was cleaned up by Simon Atai after failing to connect with a late cut.

But Andrew Balbirnie and Curtis Campher took Ireland home with a substantial unbeaten partnership of 71, with both batters finishing on 42 not out. While the Ireland captain was more patient in batting for 46 deliveries, Campher provided power, cracking three fours and two sixes during his 35-ball stay.

Ireland’s final warm-up match ahead of the World Cup takes place on Thursday against Bangladesh in Abu Dhabi.

After the game, captain Balbirnie said: “It’s always nice to get a win and put in a solid performance all round. The pitch was a slow, low and tired wicket, but our bowlers were very accurate throughout and executed their bowling plans well.”

 “My foot is fine, it’s still not pain-free, but certainly having a clear X-ray has been a great boost knowing that not much more damage can be done. I just have to remember, it’s better to use your bat rather than your boot.”

MATCH SUMMARY

Ireland Men v PNG Men, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Warm-Up, Sheikh Zayed Stadium Nursery 1, Abu Dhabi, 12 October 2021

PNG 96-8 (20 overs; A Vala 31; B White 3-10, C Young 3-15)
Ireland 99-2 (16.4 overs; A Balbirnie 42*, C Campher 42*; S Atai 1-28)

Ireland won by 8 wickets (with 20 balls remaining)

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Balbirnie received treatment on the field and left it during his innings in the seven-wicket defeat to the UAE on Sunday.

Ireland lost the third game of the T20I series against the host nation, succumbing to a 3-0 series defeat.

They will play Papua New Guinea twice in a warmup series before taking part in the T20 World Cup, which starts on Sunday, October 17.

Mark Rausa, Head of Physiotherapy and Medical Services for Cricket Ireland, said: “Andrew left the field of play during his innings today after being struck on the foot by the ball – specifically a direct blow to the 3rd, 4th and 5th toes.

“Initially, he could not bear weight and reported high levels of pain. The decision was made for him to retire hurt for immediate assessment and treatment.

“He has undergone an X-ray this evening in Abu Dhabi and we are currently awaiting the radiologist report to rule out a fracture to the toes, and will shortly confirm once we receive the report.

“I would like to thank the ICC and BCCI for their help in facilitating Andrew’s transport and assessment swiftly and safely during this period of heightened restrictions and biosecurity measures in the lead up to the T20 World Cup.”

Ireland begin their T20 World Cup campaign on Monday, October 18 when they face the Netherlands.

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