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.”