Ireland’s men’s team are gearing up for a testing tour of Bangladesh, a challenge that promises to assess both temperament and adaptability across conditions. The tour that begins with two Tests will be followed by three T20Is, that will be part of Ireland’s ongoing build-up towards the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

The multi-format tour will offer a crucial opportunity for players to fine-tune their roles and deepen their understanding of subcontinental conditions.

All-rounder George Dockrell, one of the side’s most experienced campaigners, emphasised the importance of preparation and clarity in mindset ahead of the tour. 

“I think we just need to keep building, as a group. So you know, putting together some good cricket. You know we’re working towards the World Cup next year. It’s fantastic that we’ve already qualified for that and we have a pretty clear vision of how we need to go about it," the 33-year-old was quoted saying in a video post on Ireland's social media channel.

Ireland have won their last three Test matches, beating Afghanistan in the UAE and achieving home and away victories against Zimbabwe but are yet to play a fixture in the longest format since 6 February 2025.

Spin bowling all-rounder, Andy McBrine, who has been the Player of the Match in Ireland's last two Test wins will once again be a central figure going into the upcoming Tests. His form in the two Test victories includes 11 wickets and 189 runs including a 55* and a 90*, averaging 89.5 runs in his last 4 innings. 

McBrine made full use of the spin-friendly conditions and took seven wickets and scored 19 and 72 in the last encounter between the sides in 2023, however, Bangladesh still managed to held their own and win the only Test between the two countries. Ireland have more positives from that fixture to build upon, Harry Tector scored 50+ scores in both his innings and Lorcan Tucker notched his maiden Test century.

For Ireland, success in Bangladesh will depend on their ability to read surfaces quickly and balance aggression with control particularly against a side renowned for spin and tactical discipline. While McBrine will be taking up the role of the lead spinner, young spinners Matthew Humphreys and Gavin Hoey could also have their say in the red-ball games.

The squad’s recent outings have shown promise, with younger players stepping up and a more rounded batting order taking shape.

Dockrell, who has evolved into a key middle-order presence while continuing to offer vital overs with the ball, one of the most experienced white ball players in the squad with 281 International matches under his belt, including 133 ODIs and 146 T20Is under his belt he spoke about the ongoing process of finding balance between his dual roles.

“Yeah look, it’s something that I probably first got the taste of when I was more so a bowler who batted, you know down the order. There was the odd game I need to come in and get 10 or 20 to win a match and I feel like doing that made me really enjoy you know being in that stage of the game you know batting much higher now, often it means you might have to get a 50 or 60 or more to finish off the match but I do enjoy the kind of different tempos you need to play at to be able to finish off a game, and for me, it’s so rewarding if you can be there at the end, you know when you win a match”

The tour begins on 11 November with the first Test to be played at Sylhet.