Pakistan ODI Tri-Series Set to Be Scrapped as Zimbabwe Pull Out
Zimbabwe will not join Pakistan's January 2027 ODI tri-series, which is now likely to become a two-team series against Ireland.
A three-nation one-day series that Pakistan planned to host in January 2027 is set to be called off. Zimbabwe are no longer expected to come, and the event will most likely shrink into a two-team white-ball series between Pakistan and Ireland. ESPNcricinfo first reported the news, saying Zimbabwe's part in the series fell through because of commercial reasons.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has not made any official announcement yet. However, a Cricket Ireland spokesperson told ESPNcricinfo that the two boards are now working on a revised schedule for the tour and will share the details soon. Zimbabwe and the PCB are also believed to be looking for another window to play each other later.
What Was Planned and What Has Changed
The tri-series with Ireland and Zimbabwe was part of the PCB's plans for the 2026-27 season. In June this year, reports said the PCB had approved the budget for the series, along with a possible one-off Test against Ireland during the same tour.
That Test now looks unlikely. Both boards had been working on it, but according to ESPNcricinfo, changing priorities have made a Test in Pakistan very difficult to fit in. For now, the focus is on limited-overs matches only.
Commercial reasons in cricket usually mean money issues such as TV rights, sponsors or the cost of a tour. The exact problem in Zimbabwe's case has not been made public. Zimbabwe also have a busy start to the year, with a three-match ODI tour of India planned from 3 to 9 January 2027.
A Long Wait for Ireland's First Tour
If the new plan goes ahead, it will be the first ever tour of Pakistan by Ireland's men's team. The tour was first agreed in May 2024, when PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi met Cricket Ireland chair Brian MacNeice in Dublin. It was meant to be played in August and September 2025, with three ODIs and three T20Is.
That series was later pushed back to 2027 because Pakistan's calendar was too crowded, with the Asia Cup and a home Test series against South Africa in the same period. Ireland's women's team has already toured Pakistan, back in 2022.
The two men's sides share some famous history. Ireland knocked Pakistan out of the 2007 World Cup in Jamaica, and Pakistan were the visitors when Ireland played their first ever Test at Malahide in 2018.
Why Pakistan Want More ODIs
The 2027 ODI World Cup will be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia from 4 October to 21 November 2027. Pakistan have already secured a direct place through the ICC rankings, and the PCB has made no secret that it wants the team to play as much 50-over cricket as possible before the event.
Pakistan's recent record in this format explains the push. The team has not reached a World Cup semi-final since 2011, and it lost a three-match ODI series 2-1 in Bangladesh in March this year.
The busy ODI calendar starts next month. Pakistan will host Sri Lanka and England in a tri-series from 18 to 31 October, with matches in Rawalpindi and Lahore and the final at Gaddafi Stadium. A five-match ODI series in Bangladesh is also being planned, while five ODIs in England, from 15 to 26 May 2027, have already been confirmed.
Ireland's World Cup Push and What Comes Next
For Ireland, matches in Pakistan matter for a different reason. Ireland are ranked 12th in the ODI rankings and lost their last chance of direct World Cup qualification in August, when rain washed out their first ODI against Afghanistan at Bready.
They must now play the 10-team World Cup Qualifier, reported to be scheduled from 22 February to 23 March 2027. Only the winner goes straight into the main tournament, while the teams finishing second to fourth get one more chance in a playoff stage called the Super Series. ODIs against Pakistan in January would give Ireland, under new head coach Gary Wilson, useful practice against a strong side just weeks before the qualifier.
The number of matches, the venues and the exact dates of the Ireland tour are not confirmed yet, and fans should wait for the official schedule from the PCB and Cricket Ireland. For Pakistani supporters, the change means one less visiting team in January, but still a chance to watch international cricket at home and to see Ireland's men play in Pakistan for the first time.