CWI confirms Sri Lanka tour of region

All matches to be played in a bio-secure environment in Antigua with matches at the
Coolidge Cricket Ground (3 x T20Is) and Sir Vivian Richards Stadium (3 x ODIs and 2 x
Tests) ST JOHN’S, Antigua —Cricket West Indies (CWI) yesterday confirmed the all-
format International tour between West Indies and Sri Lanka starting next month,
signalling the return of international cricket to the Caribbean. The two teams will play
three (3) T20Is, three (3) One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and two (2) Test matches in a
bio-secure environment in Antigua from  March 3 to April 2.The T20I Series will create
history as the first official International matches to be played by the West Indies Men’s
team at the Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG) and the first West Indies Men’s T20Is to be
played in Antigua since 2013. As reigning ICC T20 World Cup champions, West Indies
will use these matches as important preparation for the defence of their T20 World Cup
title which is scheduled to be held in India later this year.The CG Insurance ODI Series
will played at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium on March 10, 12 and 14 — with
the third being a day/night encounter. The CG Insurance ODIs form part of the ICC
Super League and these three matches provide the opportunity for West Indies to
secure their first points as the team tries to qualify automatically for the 2023 ICC
Cricket World Cup in India.The two Test matches will be played at the same venue with
the first match starting March 21 and the second starting March 29, providing the West
Indies with another opportunity to win points and climb the ICC World Test
Championship table following the recent fantastic series win in Bangladesh.The last
International West Indies Men’s Home Series featured Ireland in January last year.
Since then West Indies men have made three overseas tours to England, New Zealand
and Bangladesh as part of the ICC’s Future Tours Programme (FTP).As a consequence
of the COVID-19 pandemic, both teams will stay and play in bio-secure bubbles with all
the matches being held in Antigua to accommodate a later arrival date by Sri Lanka.
Fans will not be able to attend matches, but will be able to follow on TV, radio and
through CWI’s digital channels.CWI President Ricky Skerritt said  that he was pleased
that the tour was going ahead.“We are pleased to be able to finally confirm this tour. A
number of COVID-19 related logistic hurdles have now been overcome and I want to
thank Sri Lankan Cricket President, Shammi Silva and his team, for their co-operation in
honouring their obligation to tour under the ICC FTP Agreement,” said Skerritt.“We are
also extremely grateful for the support we received from the Governments of Antigua &
Barbuda, and St. Lucia in planning this tour.  But it is regrettable that we are unable to
include St. Lucia as part of this home series as we had originally hoped to due to the
delay in Sri Lanka arriving and the need for the tour to end before the start of the Indian
Premier League,” he added.CWI has been working closely with the Ministry of Health
and the Ministry of Sport in Antigua & Barbuda to orchestrate all the logistics and agree
the safety and medical protocols for the tour. All players, support staff and match
officials will be kept in a bio-secure environment, with regular COVID-19 PCR testing
taking place with assistance from the local Ministry of Health and CARPHA.CWI CEO
Johnny Grave was pleased with the development.“We are delighted to be able to re-
start international cricket in the West Indies, with the announcement of the tour by Sri
Lanka. We have a full schedule featuring all three formats, which is sure to attract lots of
attention from our fans, especially following on from the terrific Test Series win in

Bangladesh. A lot of detailed planning has gone into the hosting of this tour and we are
confident it will be a success,” said Grave.

FULL MATCH SCHEDULECCG – Coolidge Cricket GroundSVRS – Sir Vivian Richards
StadiumECT – Eastern Caribbean TimeJT – Jamaica TimeMarch 3: 1st T20I at CCG –
6pm ECT/5pm JTMarch 5: 2nd T20I at CCG – 6pm ECT/ 5pm JTMarch 7: 3rd T20I at
CCG – 6pm ECT/5pm JTMarch 10: 1st CG Insurance ODI at SVRS – 9:30am ECT/
8:30am JTMarch 12: 2nd CG Insurance ODI at SVRS – 9:30am ECT/8:30am JTMarch
14: 3rd CG Insurance ODI at SVRS – 1:30pm ECT/12:30pm JT (day/night)March 17-18:
two-day warm-up match at CCGMarch 21-25: 1st Test at SVRS – 10am ECT/9am
JTMarch 29 to April 2: 2nd Test at SVRS – 10am ECT/9am JT