Ireland head coach Heinrich Malan believes an expanded World Test Championship would enable his side to play more regular red-ball cricket. Ireland were granted Test status in 2017 and have since played 10 matches, winning three and losing seven. Their two-Test series in Bangladesh this month will be their first matches in the format since they beat Zimbabwe in February.

There have been suggestions that, after the current Future Tours Programme ends in 2027, Ireland, along with ­Afghanistan and Zimbabwe, could be included in the World Test Championship for the first time and join Pakistan, West Indies and Bangladesh in a newly created second tier. Such a structure, which would include promotion and relegation between the two divisions, has proven controversial but Malan sees the plans as a potential solution for Ireland's lack of matches.

"I don't see too many problems with that. I just see a whole lot more cricket," he said. "The fact that there's the promotion-relegation piece will really give it some context and so very much in favour of, in general, the more cricketing piece and more Test cricket."

Ireland's trip to Bangladesh will also feature three T20s, as preparations for next year's World Cup in India and Sri Lanka ramp up. Despite some uncertainty, Malan is pleased that both Tests have remained in the schedule despite the need for more white-ball matches.

"We've played a fair few one-off Test matches and hopefully as we move forward here, we can keep seeing two Test matches taking place as a minimum. I know it's not always viable, but that's definitely something that we would be pushing for and hoping for as we keep moving into the future," Malan said. "We obviously put a high price on Test match cricket. The fact that we don't play it that often heightens that a little bit as well. We want to compete really well and do really well, but there's no doubt that the T20 World Cup is just around the corner and there's some massive excitement around that too."

Since Ireland last played a Test match, opening batsman PJ Moor has retired, leaving Ireland with a hole to fill at the top of their order in Bangladesh. Malan said that once a decision has been made it will be "communicated accordingly", but he has been impressed by the credentials of Cade Carmichael. The 23-year-old is one of five potential Test debutants in the Ireland panel having made his senior bow in an ODI victory against West Indies in May.

"He's shown that real appetite to score runs and done that consistently throughout the year," Malan said. "He did that in domestic cricket, he did that in club cricket and obviously when he's had his opportunities in the Wolves, he's done that too. His thirst for runs, the way he's gone about his work throughout the summer, backing it up, has obviously paid dividends in terms of having the currency on the table to get the nod to play against the West Indies, first and foremost, and carrying that over into the red-ball series."