Ireland open to Pakistan tour if 'stars align'

AFP  |  Dublin 

are open to touring if "all the stars align," the of men's Test cricket's newest nation has said.

After being made to follow-on, reduced to 14 for three to give themselves hope of a remarkable win before their visitors managed to chase down a modest victory target of 160.

The match further strengthened the bonds between and Pakistan, which date back to when the non-Test nation knocked the subcontinental giants out of the 2007 Cup with a stunning win in

Pakistan became a no-go area for leading after an attack by armed militants on Sri Lanka's team bus in in 2009, with the becoming the team's unofficial home.

became the first major international team to return to Pakistan in 2015, while April saw Twenty20 champions visit for a three-match T20 series.

Ireland were due to tour Pakistan in 2014 only for the trip to be cancelled after militants attacked

The hope to be able to host a full series by 2020 and said Tuesday that his organisation remained "very amenable" to touring Pakistan.

"We haven't received an official invitation," Deutrom told AFP at Malahide following the end of the Test match.

"The of the Pakistan Board was here. I haven't had a complete debrief with our yet to see whether or not those conversations took place but I wouldn't even say those conversations even started here.

"For months, years, we've actually said to Pakistan, when you think it's right, safe to invite us, when you want to, economically or commercially, we are very amenable to an invitation," he added.

"When you send an invitation we presume it's because you perceive it to be safe enough for us to receive the invitation and then when you give us all the security arrangements around that we will look at that seriously, share them with our players, government, insurers and if all the stars align, we'd be happy to come.

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First Published: Wed, May 16 2018. 16:25 IST