England’s three-match Test series against the West Indies will go ahead next month subject to government clearance, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Tuesday.
The series was initially scheduled to take place in June before it was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Last week, Cricket West Indies (CWI) agreed ‘in principle’ to the new schedule. The Windies squad will arrive in the UK on June 9 and travel to Old Trafford for quarantining and training, with the venue being their base for three weeks before they move to the Ageas Bowl for the first Test.
“Our main objective is to deliver a safe environment for all stakeholders including players, match officials, operational staff, essential venue staff, broadcasters and media,” said ECB Director of Events, Steve Elworthy.
“We are in daily dialogue with Government and our medical team, who have been incredibly supportive during this period. These are our proposed dates, and they remain subject to UK Government approval.
“We would like to thank Cricket West Indies for their co-operation and dedication in making this tour a reality, and we all look forward to the prospect of cricket returning in the coming weeks,” he added.
In order to keep venues bio-secure, grounds will be split into an inner zone for both players and the officials. Meanwhile, an outer area for broadcasters, media and operational staff with no-one permitted will move between the two.
England vs West Indies Test series schedule
- First Test – July 8-12, Ageas Bowl
- Second Test – July 16-20, Old Trafford
- Third Test – July 24-28, Old Trafford
In addition to hosting the West Indies, ECB is also looking forward to hosting Pakistan for Tests and T20Is, Ireland for ODIs and Australia for six limited-overs games. The ECB will decide on the other series at a later date.
