Ireland’s first step into the rarefied world of international test cricket is still four months away but 40 percent of the tickets available for the historic match against Pakistan at Malahide in may have already been snapped up.
There will be a 10,000 seat temporary facility rising in the shadow of Malahide Castle as the occasion draws closer and it promises to yield a strong financial return for the sport as well.
Turkish Airlines already signed up for an extension of their initial deal as the team’s primary sponsors and interest across the massive markets of India and Pakistan have already secured advertising space around the ground from brands active in the region.
The television rights money will cover most of the cost of staging the event, likely to be in the region of €1 million, and is currently being negotiated with major international broadcasters.
TV audiences for matches involving India and Pakistan, both of whom will be playing at Malahide this summer extend to hundreds of millions around the world and that is the size of the table which Cricket Ireland now has a seat at.
The campaign to ‘Make Cricket Mainstream’ may not have reached the point yet where live terrestrial coverage is demanded but it is almost certain that either eir Sport in partnership with BT Sport or rival Sky Sports will take up the rights to broadcast within the UK and Ireland.
That combination has served rugby well enough with the European Champions’ Cup and its Heineken Cup predecessor and will likely have to do for now.
Ireland is a sports mad country. The Test Match will be competing with the start of the GAA Championships, the big European and Guinness PRO 14 Final stages and more but it will find its space here as well as it does across the world.
The players were out at Malahide yesterday promoting the match and posing in the new O’Neill’s kit produced for the occasion.
Over the coming months we will get to see more of them, to know them as world sporting stars and hopefully to cheer then on between may 11th and 15th against Pakistan and then again on June 27th and 29th against India.
Corporate Hospitality is already sold out for the opening day of the Pakistan Test, and that does not happen easily for an event that is being staged for the first time.
Sport for Business will be there and looking forward to it. Looks like we will be in very good company as well and that the world will be watching.
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