Cricket West Indies on Friday announced the schedule for the Windies team, featuring three back to back international home tours against South Africa, Australia, and Pakistan, from June to August 2021. The Test and T20I series against the Proteas, rescheduled from 2020, will kickstart Windies’ international summer.
“Following the successful hosting of the all-format series against Sri Lanka earlier this year, we are delighted to announce that we are set to welcome South Africa, Australia and Pakistan to the West Indies,”
“To host three international teams back-to-back in five territories is unprecedented, and putting these fixtures together was an enormous Covid-related logistical challenge,”
Johnny Grave, CWI CEO, said in a release.
St Lucia and Grenada will be the host venues for West Indies before moving to Barbados for ODIs against Australia. South Africa will arrive in St Lucia on June 1, where they are to play two Tests, followed by five T20Is in Grenada from June 26 to July 3. This will be the first time in 11 years that South Africa will play bilateral cricket in West Indies.
Australia will play limited overs series, starting in St. Lucia with five T20Is between July 9 and 24, followed by three ODIs in Barbados. The ODIs will give West Indies an opportunity to add on to their points in the ICC ODI Super League to qualify automatically for the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup.
Pakistan will reach Barbados on July 21 for their five-match T20I series. The first two games will be played at the Kensington Oval before heading to Guyana for the remaining three. The two teams will then travel to Jamaica for two Tests at Sabina Park from August 12 to August 24.
West Indies’ marathon home summer will feature 15 T20Is, which will be helpful for the defending champions in their preparation for the T20 World Cup. The home season will also feature a total of four Tests and three ODIs.
