India and Australia to Meet in Belfast, Ireland on June after the End of the World Cup Cricket 2007

Indian and Australia will meet to each other on June in Belfast, Ireland. They will play three ODI matches there. These three matches will be included in those 25 matches India has to play over the five years in offshore venues as per the contract between Indian Cricket Board and Zee TV.

Cricinfo reported:

Under the conditions of an agreement signed between Zee TV and the Indian Cricket Board, India have to play 25 offshore ODIs over a five-year period, and following Ireland's successful hosting of the one-day international against England at Stormont in Belfast last June, officials have been in secret negotiations with the BCCI to bring further international cricket to their shores.

"Clearly there is an incentive to be hosting such events," Warren Deutrom, the chief executive of the Irish Cricket Union, told Cricinfo. "This is not just a major cricket match but a major sporting event, between two of the best sides in the world." Deutrom confirmed that the three matches would be held at Stormont on June 27, June 29 and July 1, but added that this would be subject to the finalising of terms.

For India, the series will be played as a warm-up for their tour of England in July, which comprises three Tests and seven one-dayers. "We will play against Australia in the last week of June," Niranjan Shah, the secretary of the Indian cricket board, told reporters. "We have chosen Ireland as the venue and details are being worked out."

This is a good initiative that two cricket powers will play in Ireland where Cricket is not that much popular. However, it would be better if the initiative of organizing some ODI matches in USA and Canada could be successful.