Ireland's empty summer a reminder of imbalances

A new stadium and new league is planned but the side England face this week will be sorely undercooked

- Taha Hashim

For England this is the end of another unrelenting summer. Three Twenty20 internationals over the coming days will make it eight white-ball matches in three weeks, excluding a rain-abandoned game against South Africa. Jacob Bethell is captain because Harry Brook merits a lie down in a dark room. For Ireland, their opponents in Malahide, north Dublin, it is a radically different story.

"It feels like the start of our winter programme," says Paul Stirling, Ireland's white-ball captain. "We haven't played a home international series since the West Indies in June. It feels like we've closed the summer." Those three T20s in Bready three months ago included two washouts, adding to an already shrinking itinerary.

A lack of cricket at home is an ongoing problem. Last year Cricket Ireland called off a tour by Australia, and Afghanistan's visit this summer was also cancelled, the governing body citing "financial reasons". With no permanent stadium infrastructure, the costs of transforming club grounds into international venues has been a major stumbling block.

"We effectively have to build everything," says Warren Deutrom, who stepped away as CI's chief executive last month after 19 years in the job. Up go the temporary stands for England's visit.