The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is open to providing financial support if needed to ensure England Women play a Test against the West Indies in the Caribbean. The match is part of a multi-format series scheduled for 2027 and will serve as important preparation for the Women’s Ashes.
England’s 2027 women’s schedule will begin with preparations in India before the team takes on the West Indies in a multi-format series in April and May. The tour will feature three T20Is, three ODIs, and a Test, followed by the Women’s Ashes, which begins with the Headingley Test in June.
ECB Open to Funding West Indies Test
Cricket West Indies (CWI) recently announced several cost-cutting measures, including reductions in player contracts. CWI also cancelled a women’s Test against Australia in March.
There have been no discussions between the ECB and CWI about cancelling England’s Test. However, hosting cricket in the Caribbean can be expensive because players often need to travel between different islands.
CWI revealed last week that it had spent more than $80 million on domestic air travel over the past 15 years. Under normal reciprocal arrangements, the host board covers the visiting team’s logistical costs, including travel and accommodation.
ECB chair Richard Thompson said that the board would “look at” the situation if the need arose. He also pointed to the unusual example of Zimbabwe’s men receiving a touring fee from the ECB for their Test in England last year.
Richard Thompson Explains Test’s Importance
Richard Thompson stated that the Test is important because England need competitive red-ball cricket before the Ashes. The women’s Ashes will begin with the Test at Headingley in June, making the Caribbean fixture a useful opportunity to prepare for the series.
“We want that Test match to play out. It's very important for us because our first women's match in the Ashes is the Headingley Test, so we need a good red-ball warm-up,” Thompson told BBC Sport.
“We've got to be playing somewhere and we'd much prefer that to be the West Indies,” he added.
England lost to India at Lord’s earlier this year and have not played a women’s Test against the West Indies since 1979. The West Indies have also had limited recent Test cricket, with their most recent women’s Test coming against Pakistan in 2004.
England Finalise Ashes Preparations
The Caribbean Test is only one part of England’s preparation for the 2027 Ashes. The squad will attend a 10-day red-ball training camp in India in January before travelling to the West Indies later in the spring.
The ECB is also finalising plans to give domestic players more red-ball cricket early next season. England and Australia A played Test-style warm-up matches before the 2023 Ashes, and a similar arrangement could be used again in 2027.
Thompson also expressed sympathy for West Indies cricket and its financial difficulties, while hoping the region can find a sustainable way forward with support from the International Cricket Council and other organisations.
“We all have a huge sympathy for the West Indies; we all want to see a successful West Indian nation. They have very unique challenges and I hope through the International Cricket Council and others we can find a way through this,” he said.
The West Indies tour will include three T20Is and three ODIs alongside the proposed Test, although the exact dates and venues are yet to be confirmed. For England, the Test would provide valuable red-ball match practice before the Ashes.
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