Cricket Ireland have confirmed that they have agreed to the cancellation of the upcoming Ireland Women’s tour to Thailand.

The request was made by the Cricket Association of Thailand.

Ed Joyce's team were due to head to the Southeast Asian nation next month to face the hosts, the Netherlands and Zimbabwe.

Countries involved in the quadrangular tournament are to begin working on alternate fixtures in the lead up to the ICC World Cup Qualifier in July.

In a statement released today, a spokesperson for the Cricket Association of Thailand (CAT) said:

"The Women's Quadrangular 50-over Series that was scheduled to be played between Thailand, Ireland, Netherlands and Zimbabwe in Chiang Mai from 3rd to 11th April has been called off because of concerns over the impact of COVID-19 in Thailand and across the world.

"The competition had been arranged as a warm-up event for four teams who will be playing in the ICC Women's World Cup Qualifier in Sri Lanka in July but the CAT have taken the decision to cancel in the interests of player safety after ongoing discussions with the relevant medical authorities and the Sports Authority of Thailand."

The Performance Director for Cricket Ireland, Richard Holdsworth, is now trying to arrange some other games for the team to get them prepared for the World Cup qualifier.

"While disappointing from a cricket perspective, the health and safety of players, staff and travelling fans is paramount, and we readily agreed with the advice from Thailand," said Holdsworth.

"It’s an important few months for the women’s team in the lead up to the World Cup Qualifier, so we will be working on a replacement set of fixtures in an alternate location to ensure the women are as prepared for this tournament."

Cricket Ireland say that they will provide an update on the women’s international fixtures in due course.