Thursday, October 3, 2024

England confirm West Indies schedule with three Tests in 21 days

England will play three Tests in the space of 21 days when the international summer begins in July.

The series against the West Indies will begin on July 8 at the Ageas Bowl, followed by testing at the Emirates Old Trafford on July 16 and July 24.

All three matches will be played behind closed doors at biosecurity locations, which have hotels on-site.

The West Indies arrive on June 9 and will be located in Old Trafford for initial quarantine and training.

  • First Text v West Indies: July 8-12, Southampton
  • Second Text v West Indies: July 16-20, Old Trafford
  • Third Test v West Indies: July 24-28, Old Trafford

The original schedule, which featured Evidence at The Oval, Edgbaston, and Lord’s between June 4 and June 29, was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Former England hitter Jonathan Trott said the players would be “refreshed and chewing to start.”

“When you think of playing for England, you always think of full houses,” Trott told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“It’s going to be a little bit different behind closed doors, but not unlike playing on some terrain overseas.”

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said a decision on the series against Pakistan, Australia and Ireland will be made at a later date.

ECB Events Director Steve Elworthy said: “We are in daily dialogue with the government and our medical team. These are our proposed dates and they are subject to government approval.”

Edgbaston in Birmingham has been selected as a contingency site and will be used to organize additional training throughout the month of July.

Last week, the ECB asked a group of 55 players to return to training.

England’s women’s summer schedule will be determined at a later date with Lisa Keightley’s team ready to play series against India and South Africa.

The county’s national season, which was due to start on April 12, has been postponed until at least August 1.

‘A big step’

Analysis by BBC Cricket Correspondent Jonathan Agnew

There are still many details to finalize, but this is a great step. The West Indies were supposed to be on tour now, but they agreed on a rescheduled format that includes three consecutive tests on two terrains in three weeks.

There will be no spectators and everyone who is closely involved in the matches will stay in the hotels that have made this series possible.

There will be regular tests and quarantine zones for anyone suspected of contracting Covid-19.

The ECB is hopeful that more international cricket will be held later in the summer.

Teodora Torrendo
Teodora Torrendohttps://ccdiscovery.com
Teodora Torrendo is an investigative journalist and is a correspondent for European Union. She is based in Zurich in Switzerland and her field of work include covering human rights violations which take place in the various countries in and outside Europe. She also reports about the political situation in European Union. She has worked with some reputed companies in Europe and is currently contributing to USA News as a freelance journalist. As someone who has a Masters’ degree in Human Rights she also delivers lectures on Intercultural Management to students of Human Rights. She is also an authority on the Arab world politics and their diversity.

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