Cwi

The West Indies batting legend, after a few months of battling with an ailment, died at his Christ Church home at around noon.

Already, Cricket West Indies and Barbados Cricket Association president Conde Riley have expressed sadness at the news.

“Sir Everton was one of our greats. He has a massive contribution to Barbados and West Indies cricket. This is a sad time for cricket. We have lost a legend,” said Riley.

In a Tweet less than an hour ago, Cricket West Indies had this to say:

“Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the loss of an icon. A legend, our hero, Sir Everton Weekes. Our condolences go out to his family, friends and many fans around the world. May he rest in peace.”

Sir Everton Weekes began his international career against England on January 21, 1948, and would go on to enjoy a career spanning 48 Tests in 20 years of service to the regional side.

In that time he would average a remarkable 58.61, score 15 centuries and 19 half-centuries with a highest score of 207.

In combination with Sir Clyde Walcott and Sir Frank Worrell, Weekes was a major part of the West Indies transition from being a competitive team to being one of the most dominant units in all of sporting history.

The three Ws, along with George Headley made what used to be a talented but fickle batting line-up, into a picture of consistency.

The omission of the likes of Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Shamarh Brooks, Shane Dowrich, Sheldon Cottrell, Rovman Powell, and Oshane Thomas from the international retainer contracts lists, for the upcoming year, has rubbed a few supporters the wrong way.  Particularly, based on the fact that fewer contracts were handed out this year.

However, according to Harper, some players did not meet the minimum criteria for selection or simply did not display the quality need.

“We have to accept that these are performance-based contracts.  So, the contracts are awarded based on performance during the evaluation period, as well as the selection panel must feel that the players must play a major role or form the nucleus of the team going forward,” Harper told members of the media on Thursday.

“The players who were not awarded contracts their performances over the period did not meet the necessary criteria as well as you had new players who came to fore and performed, so they were offered contracts,” he added.

“Going forward as a culture, if we want to see our team progress, if we want to see our team compete with the best in the world.  We have to be more conscious of the fact that we have to earn our stripes and we have to perform consistently.  I think our retainer contracts are given on that basis.”

In addition to playing at least 50 percent of the games during the evaluation period, to be considered, batsmen must average at least 30 in Test and ODI cricket.  For T20Is players the player’s batting average and strike rate combined must be a minimum 150.

The final three upcoming tournaments are the Women’s Rising Stars Under 19s, Men’s Rising Stars Under 17s and Men’s Rising Stars Under 19s Championships which are all important steps in the development pathway for the next generation of West Indies men’s and women’s cricketers.

The Women’s Rising Stars Under 19s Championship, consisting of six rounds of 30-over matches, will take place in Trinidad from 2 to 16 July. The Men’s Rising Stars Under 19s Championship will take place in St Vincent between 2 July and 1 August, consisting of five rounds of 50-over white ball matches and four rounds of three-day red ball matches.

The Men’s Rising Stars Under 17s Championship will take place in Trinidad between 10 August and 1 September featuring five rounds of 50-over matches and for the first time also three rounds of two-day red ball matches.

The Men’s Rising Stars Championships will feature both red ball and 50-over white ball cricket which will help the players develop a strong foundation of skill-sets, both mental and technical, that they can build on as they progress through the CWI development pathway system.

Jimmy Adams, CWI’s Director of Cricket spoke of the importance of the West Indies Rising Stars Championships and age group cricket across the region and how essential they are to develop the next generation of young talent in the West Indies.

“These age group tournaments are of paramount importance, and we want to ensure the players get maximum opportunities and exposure. Many of our current and former international players have graduated from these tournaments and we continue to see this as the ‘nursery’ for West Indies cricket,” Adams said.

“With over 250 teenagers due to participate in these championships, this is the ideal platform for them to launch their careers and the tournaments will allow for ongoing talent identification and development of our best young players”.

 TOURNAMENT DATES

2 to 16 July: Women’s Rising Stars Under 19s Championship, Trinidad

2 July to 1 August: Men’s Rising Stars Under 19s Championship in St Vincent

10 August to 1 September: Men's’ Rising Stars Under 17s Championship in Trinidad

Djenaba Joseph and Trishan Holder have been called up as replacements for Shakera Selman, who has been ruled out and Chedean Nation, who sustained injuries during in the CG United ODI series that the home side lost 3-0.

Joseph and Holder are currently in Antigua for a high-performance camp with the U19 Rising Stars ahead of the ICC Women’s U19 World Cup in South Africa in January 2023.

Meanwhile, off-spinner Karishma Ramharack returns to the squad after missing the CG United ODI series due to injury.

“The upcoming T20 series is vitally important as the team continues its preparations for the World Cup in February 2023. With some of the senior players missing out through injury, it is an ideal opportunity for the other players to start cementing a place in the World Cup team,” said lead selector Ann Browne-John.

Full squad: Hayley Matthews (Captain), Shemaine Campbelle (Vice Captain), Aaliyah Alleyne, Afy Fletcher, Cherry Ann Fraser, Shabika Gajnabi, Sheneta Grimmond, Chinelle Henry, Trishan Holder, Djenaba Joseph, Kycia Knight, Karishma Ramharack, Kaysia Schultz and Rashada Williams.

These matches will have full first-class status. The West Indies “A” Team will arrive in Bangladesh on May 11.

This will be the second West Indies Men’s “A” Team series since 2020, when COVID-19 caused major disruptions. It is a reciprocal tour by West Indies “A” following the Bangladesh “A” team’s visit last August, when they played two four-day first-class matches and three 50-over List A matches at the Daren Sammy Stadium in Saint Lucia.

West Indies Men’s “A” team matches are an important development opportunity for players pushing for selection to the West Indies senior team and for emerging players to build their first-class international experience.

Roland Holder, CWI’s Manager of Cricket Operations, reiterated that the series would provide exposure for several players and noted it was significant part of CWI’s commitment to continually develop talent and prepare them for the demands at international cricket.

“We are again pleased to work closely with the BCB as we confirm the match schedule for this upcoming Men’s ‘A’ Team Series,” Holder said.

“Last summer we had a competitive five-match series with red ball and white ball matches in Saint Lucia. This time around our players will get to experience foreign conditions and this is a vital part of their development in the pathway toward full international selection and provides a platform for further exposure and progress following the recent West Indies Championship and new Headley Weekes Tri-Series.”

MATCH SCHEDULE

All matches at SICS, Sylhet

16-19 May: 1st “Test”

23-26 May: 2nd “Test”

30 May to 2 June: 3rd “Test”

This tour will be the first-ever ODI Series between the two teams featuring three ODIs from May 31 to June 4 at the VRA Cricket Ground, Amstelveen.

The three matches form part of the ICC ODI Super League, where West Indies and the Netherlands will have the opportunity to secure points to try and secure one of the top seven places, excluding hosts India, to gain automatic qualification for the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.

“We have been working closely with our colleagues at KNCB to put together this series immediately after the IPL and we are happy to now be able to announce the match schedule,” said CWI CEO Johnny Grave.

“It’s going to be exciting to tour the Netherlands for the first time. It is a short tour, but we expect great entertainment during what promises to be a wonderful week of quality cricket for the fans in The Netherlands.”

 High-Performance Manager of KNCB, Roland Lefebvre, said they are eagerly anticipating the historic tour.

 “The KNCB is very excited to welcome the West Indies cricket team back to the Netherlands. The last time the team visited our country was in 1991, for two 55-over friendly matches, with the likes of Richards, Haynes, Ambrose, and Marshall present. These matches will be the second Cricket World Cup Super League home series for the Dutch team and we look forward to a great Caribbean style contest,” he said.

Below is the match schedule:)

Tuesday, May 31: 1st ODI

Thursday, June 2: 2nd ODI

Saturday, June 4: 3rd ODI

Missing from the squad is spinner Anisa Mohammed who declined the invitation to join the squad while Kaysia Schultz is the only newcomer.

The touring party, who will all be tested for COVID-19 this week, is scheduled to fly to England on a private charter on August 30.

The West Indies Women’s squad will live, train and play in a “bio-secure” environment during the four weeks of the tour, as part of the comprehensive medical and operations plans to ensure player and staff safety which will restrict movement in and out of the venues.

Fourteen players of the touring party were part of the West Indies Women’s squad that participated at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Australia, earlier this year.

“It is with pleasure that we are able once again to have our West Indies Women's team involved at the International level. This tour to England gives our players a great opportunity,” said Lead Selector for Women’s and Girls Cricket, Ann Browne-John.

“The larger 18-member squad also gives an opportunity to have young developing players involved, like the two players from Guyana, left-arm bowler Kaysia Shultz and all-rounder Shabika Gajnabi. It also gives the opportunity to the young Trinidadian off-spinner Karishma Ramharack to get some international experience.”

CWI’s Director of Cricket Jimmy Adams said CWI was grateful for the opportunity provided by the England and Wales Cricket Board.

“CWI is pleased to be restarting its international women’s program with a tour to England, where the standard of women’s cricket has grown tremendously. We thank the ECB for their invitation and the added opportunity to travel with a larger squad affords us the chance to introduce a few younger players to this level of the game, and fast track their development,” he said.

“With so much uncertainty surrounding cricket scheduling currently, this is a timely opportunity for our women to resume competitive cricket at the highest level.”

 West Indies Women are scheduled to arrive in Derby on August 31 and will be based in at the Derbyshire Cricket Ground for the duration of the tour.

Full squad: Stafanie Taylor, Afy Fletcher, Hayley Matthews, Aaliyah Alleyne,  Cherry-Ann Fraser, Natasha McLean, Shemaine Campbelle, Shabika Gajnabi, Chedean Nation, Britney Cooper, Sheneta Grimmond, Karishma Ramharack, Shamilia Connell,  Chinelle Henry, Kaysia Schultz, Deandra Dottin, Lee Ann Kirby and Shakera Selman.

Tour schedule:

Monday, September 21:            1st Vitality IT20, England v West Indies

 Wednesday, September 23:     2nd Vitality IT20, England v West Indies

Saturday, September 26:          3rd Vitality IT20, England v West Indies

Monday, September 28:           4th Vitality IT20, England v West Indies

Wednesday, September 30:      5th Vitality IT20, England v West Indies

 David White, CEO of New Zealand Cricket said the tours would go ahead despite the ongoing pandemic, saying that managed isolation arrangements are being worked out for the visiting teams.

"We are making tremendous progress. I was just on the phone to the West Indies, they're confirmed, Pakistan is confirmed, Australia and Bangladesh... so 37 days of international cricket," White told reporters in Auckland.

However, CWI CEO Johnny Grave told Sportsmax.TV that nothing has been confirmed for the Caribbean side to visit New Zealand where there were no reported COVID-19 infections for more than three months.

The West Indies recently returned from their three-Test bio-secure #Raisethebat series in England. The hosts won the series 2-1.

The partnership is set to launch on the pitch on Wednesday, July 8 in the team’s highly anticipated first Test match of the Sandals West Indies Tour of England 2020 in the #RaiseTheBat Series at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton.

The second and third Test matches will be at Emirates Old Trafford Bowl in Manchester on July 16-20 and July 24-28

Phizz is scientifically formulated to create the most comprehensive formula of hydration, vitamins and minerals. It was created as a hydration amplifier, ensuring players rapidly absorb two to three times more than drinking water alone, while also replenishing the main electrolytes lost in sweat.

“Player nutrition and hydration is key in supporting performance, recovery and immune systems under stress from training and travel,” said Dr. Oba Gulston, CWI’s Sports Science and Medicine Manager.

“We are pleased to bring Phizz on board. We feel that Phizz provides the ideal blend of hydration, essential vitamins, minerals and electrolytes to support our athletes.”

Dominic Warne, Commercial and Marketing Director for CWI said:

“We are excited to have Phizz on board to support our athletes on the pitch and on the road as one of our technical partners. This great addition to our family of technical partnerships brings genuine benefits for our teams’ preparation and performance development.”

Yasmin Badiani, Phizz Head of Sport said:

"Phizz is proud to partner a legendary team such as the West Indies."

"This is a big moment for our growing company, and we are looking forward to working closely with the team on this partnership.”

Phizz supplies more than 60 professional sports clubs as well as airlines, gyms and five-star hotels around the world.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have confirmed all the tour logistics and have submitted detailed medical and security plans to CWI for final review.

The West Indies Women are due to arrive in Pakistan on November 1 for the ODI series that is scheduled to be played at the National Stadium in Karachi.

This will be the West Indies Women’s third bilateral series in 2021, after hosting Pakistan and South Africa in the Caribbean this summer. The West Indies players are currently in Antigua for a High-Performance training camp as part of the team’s preparation for the upcoming Cricket World Cup Qualifiers.

“This reciprocal tour to Pakistan is an important part of our preparation plans ahead of the World Cup qualifying tournament that is scheduled to take place in Zimbabwe in mid-November. This tour to Pakistan will give the team the chance to play in different conditions compared to the Caribbean and have more high-level competitive cricket ahead of aiming to secure one of the three qualifying spots available for the Women’s Cricket World Cup next year,” said CWI CEO Johnny Grave.

“The security plan arranged by the PCB is the same high level that the West Indies Men’s and Women’s teams received when they last toured Pakistan in 2018 and 2019, respectively.  Independent security advisors, Eastern Star International (ESI) have confirmed to both CWI and WIPA that they are satisfied that the risk is manageable and can be mitigated to an acceptable level of safety.  We will now take a final recommendation to our Board of Directors before the Selection Panel confirms the squad.”

The West Indies Women will travel directly to Zimbabwe after the ODI Series for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifiers from November 21 to December 5.  They will be one of 10 teams, along with Pakistan, aiming to secure one of three qualifying places for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand in February 2022.

The West Indies Women last toured Pakistan in January 2019 for three (3) T20 Internationals in Karachi.                                                                               

FULL MATCH SCHEDULE

1st ODI – November 8 at National Stadium, Karachi

2nd ODI – November 11 at National Stadium, Karachi

3rd ODI – November 14 at National Stadium, Karachi

Pakistan will arrive in the Caribbean on June 23 ahead of the T20 International (T20I) series, which starts on June 30. The T20Is and T20 'A' Team matches will be played on the same day and at the same venues as “double-headers”. The teams will then switch gears as they head into a five-match CG Insurance One Day International (ODI) Series and three-match CG Insurance 'A' Team One-Day Series starting on July 7 and 10 respectively.

All matches will take place at the two ICC accredited grounds in Antigua, the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium and the Coolidge Cricket Ground. The ODI series will be vital preparation for both teams as they will face each other in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifiers that are due to take place in Sri Lanka in December for one of the three remaining qualifying spots for the Cricket World Cup in New Zealand, 2022.

CWI’s investment in Women’s cricket is one of eight key initiatives within CWI’s strategic plan, designed to develop the next generation of women cricketers, increase participation in the sport and generate additional opportunities for competition at the highest level.

CWI’s Director of Cricket Jimmy Adams said: “This is a very significant home tour for our women and we are delighted that our counterparts at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have worked with us to arrange these two series despite all the challenges we face with COVID-19. CWI continues to invest in our international Women’ program by hosting extended High-Performance camps between tours, two of which have already been held this year.

"In addition, the opportunity to host our first ever ‘A” Team Series is brilliant, as it means that our developing players will get the chance to compete against high-quality international opponents and push for selection to the senior team. The series is also an important part of our preparation for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifiers in December. Our goal post this Pakistan series is to have our squad play against more international opposition and take part in our Regional Tournament before heading to the Qualifiers in Sri Lanka at the end of the year.”

The West Indies Women last played in the Caribbean in a bilateral series against India in November 2019, following which all home cricket was postponed in 2020 due to the impact of Covid-19. The West Indies Women last played on the Sandals West Indies Women’s Tour to England in September 2020 in a five-match T20I series.

Shai Hope, Justin Greaves and Akeal Hosein were the players who tested positive along with assistant coach Roddy Estwick and team physician Dr Akshai Mansingh. These latest infections come on the heels of Kyle Mayers, Roston Chase and Sheldon Cottrell testing positive just prior to the start of the tour.

All will remain in isolation until they produce negative tests.

It is against this background, that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Cricket West Indies (CWI) have issued a joint statement announcing the postponement of the three ODIs scheduled.

“On Thursday morning and as part of the PCB COVID-19 Protocols, Rapid Antigen tests were conducted on the remaining 15 West Indies players and six-player support personnel. All 21 members of the West Indies touring party have returned negative test results. As such, Thursday’s T20 International (T20I) proceeded as planned,” the statement said.

However, taking into consideration both the teams’ welfare as well as limited resources in the West Indies side for the ODIs, it has been agreed that the series, which forms part of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League, will be postponed and rescheduled for early June 2022.”

This, they said, will provide the West Indies with an equal opportunity to field their best available players for the World Cup qualification matches.

The West Indies team members, who returned negative results following Wednesday’s PCR and today’s Rapid Antigen tests, will depart from Pakistan after tonight’s match. Those who have tested positive will complete their isolation in Karachi before their travel arrangements are finalised to allow them to rejoin their families in time for Christmas celebrations.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan team members, all of whom have returned PCR negative after Wednesday’s tests, will also be leaving the Managed Event Environment after tonight’s third

The West Indies and England will return to international cricket next month, with a three-Test match series behind closed doors.  With the spread of the coronavirus continuing to be a serious concern in the UK, for safety reasons, the players and everyone associated with the series will be kept in what has been described as a biosecure bubble for seven weeks.

With the United Kingdom (UK) being one of the hardest-hit countries by the virus and some 41,128 deaths already reported, there will doubtlessly be some element of risk in travelling for the tour.  As such, West Indies players were given the option of not accepting the invitation, with Darren Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer and Keemo Paul all deciding to opt-out due to safety concerns.  As is customary, it is the host team that will be entitled to the revenue from the series, with the decision by the West Indies expected to save the England and Wales Cricket Board £120million in reimbursements to Sky Sports.

Due to the exceptional nature of the circumstances, Roberts believes the Caribbean team should have secured better compensation.

“I don’t have a problem with them negotiating to go to England, but what I have a problem with is talk that the West Indies will not benefit from the tour financially,” Roberts told the Mason and Guest radio program.

“I think that is a mistake because the chances that we are going to take, I don’t think you have many more countries that would be willing to take such a chance,” he added.

“If they are to benefit financially then I don’t have a problem, but if they are not going to benefit from it, then I have a problem, why take the risk and sacrifice the guys?”

The 34-year-old has not played for the West Indies since representing the squad at the World Cup last year, despite controversially featuring in several lucrative T20 tournaments since then, including the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Vitality T20 Blast.

In addition, the player has failed to make much of an impression in this season’s Caribbean Premier League (CPL), which is admittedly closely watched by the panel of selectors.  In six matches the all-rounder has averaged 7.40 and has a top score of 17.  With the ball, he has taken four wickets.

“We just didn’t consider Russell for selection and that was it,” Haynes said of the player’s exclusion.

“We haven’t really seen a lot of Russell in playing cricket for the West Indies recently and judging from what is happening now we just decided that we would move on,” he added.

Russell has played 67 matches for the West Indies and averaged 19.50 with a strike rate of 150.  He has taken 37 wickets at an economy rate of 9.18.

The men’s program restarted under similar circumstances when the team became one of the first to resume playing international cricket, with its tour against England last month.  With the women’s inactive for the entire period, concerns were raised regarding a need to keep them engaged and active.

With South Africa pulling out of the tour, due to prevailing concerns regarding the coronavirus pandemic, the regional team was invited to fill the spot.

“It’s similar to the men in as much as the ECB has said they understand the financial position that we are in and they have agreed to pick up the cost.  So, this provides us with the best opportunity to restart our women’s program,” Grave told the Mason and Guest radio show.

“With the Guyana and Trinidad borders shut, getting the women together has been impossible.  They haven’t been training since March, since they returned from the World T20 in Australia.  This provides us with the opportunity to have three weeks of training camp prior to a couple of weeks’ worth of games.  We are playing five international T20s.  So, it really has kickstarted our women’s program, which we have been trying to do.”

The former world-renowned fast bowler has served as an assistant coach with the Bangladesh Men’s team, and subsequently worked on a short-term contract with the West Indies Women’s team, including at the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2020 held in Australia earlier this year.

Walsh is the leading wicket-taker in West Indies Test history with 519 wickets in 132 Test matches. A former Jamaica and West Indies captain, he took 227 wickets in One-Day Internationals, and also took 1807 wickets in 429 first-class matches. The 57-year-old is a member of the ICC Hall of Fame.

“This is indeed an honour to be named as the new Head Coach. It’s an exciting challenge and I’ve always wanted to give back in any way I can and help with the development of the game in the West Indies. The experience I have, my knowledge of the game, and my overall organizational skills will be key aspects as we try to develop a winning team culture,” said Walsh.

“I worked with the team at the Women’s T20 World Cup earlier this year in Australia and in the series against India in the Caribbean last year, so I have a very good understanding of what is required. The ability and the talent are there, we have some fantastic players in the West Indies, and it will be my duty and focus to help the women to develop their talents and achieve the goals we are going to be setting together.”

 Jimmy Adams, CWI’s Director of Cricket said Walsh will be integral to moving the women’s programme forward.

“I am delighted to have Courtney leading our international women's programme having successfully come through CWI’s recruitment process.  He will be overseeing the programme initially until the end of the next two ICC Women's World Cups in 2022 and he will be pivotal in working with CWI’s High Performance Team to move our whole women’s programme forward, as part of our wider strategic plan which has Women’s cricket as a key priority,” Adams said.

Since retiring from the game, Walsh has held several posts within CWI cricket set-up. He was a member of West Indies’ senior selection panel from 2013 to 2016 and was part of the panel which selected the squad that won the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in India. He has also been Team Manager for the West Indies Under-19 and Under-15 teams and has served as a Director of the Jamaica Cricket Association. He has also been a Bowling Mentor for the Jamaica Tallawahs and Bowling Coach for St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

The new training outfits were unveiled during the West Indies training camp at Emirates Old Trafford. The training kits feature lightweight, performance-enhancing fabrics and an ultra-modern dark blue, maroon and pink design that the players love and that fans around world will be excited to wear.

The new Test “whites” will be revealed ahead of the upcoming three-Test series against England when the West Indies will be defending the Wisden Trophy at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton (July 8-12) and then at Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester (July 16-20 and July 24-28).

Castore, the fast-growing premium performance brand will supply team kits for Test, T20 Internationals (T20I) and One-Day International (ODI) games and covering the men’s, women’s and age-group teams from Under-15 level upwards. It is the Liverpool-based company’s first deal in team sports and its first move into cricket apparel.

“We know the players are excited to get their hands on the new performance training range from Castore, especially during this unique training camp. Castore has listened to the needs of our players and coaching staff to deliver a range of superb kit and we’re looking forward to revealing a special Test kit ahead of this historic Series,” said CWI Commercial Director, Dominic Warne.

Phil Beahon, the co-founder of Castore, said he was delighted and honoured to have been chosen by Cricket West Indies as the West Indies Official Kit Partner.

“Castore creates world-leading sportswear garments designed to enhance the performance of elite athletes and we are incredibly excited about the opportunity to contribute to the next chapter of history for one of the most successful international teams in cricket,” he said.

The day-night matches will be played on Monday 5 June, Wednesday 7 June and Friday 9 June. Both teams will depart for Zimbabwe at the end of the series for their World Cup qualifying campaign which begins on 18 June. The all-important tournament will confirm the remaining spots for the 10-team ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, India.

“We are delighted to host a former World Champion side like the West Indies ahead of the qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe. In recent months, our team has produced some sensational performances in the ODI format which have helped raise UAE cricket’s profile,” said General Secretary of the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), Mubashshir Usmani.

“Our qualification for the tournament in Zimbabwe is a testament of our recent achievements. We want to ensure we provide the best possible preparation to our team and this series will most certainly help in achieving the goal. We look forward to welcoming the West Indian team. We want to thank Cricket West Indies for their continuous support towards cricket development in the UAE”.

Meanwhile, Jimmy Adams, Director of Cricket for Cricket West Indies said the tour will prove valuable for several reasons.

“This is our first ever bilateral tour against the UAE and we are pleased to have agreed this historic three-match ODI Series as it will provide a good opportunity for our players to get some preparation ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers,” he said.

“It will also allow those players not going to Zimbabwe to get some valuable experience at the international level in foreign conditions, which would be hugely beneficial to their growth and development. We are happy to work closely with the ECB to arrange the three matches and we see this as a partnership which can grow in the future.”

UAE vs West Indies ODI series

5 June – UAE vs West Indies, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, UAE

7 June – UAE vs West Indies, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, UAE

9 June – UAE vs West Indies, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, UAE

 With the West Indies U19 team being unavailable to tour England during the proposed window, CWI and the ECB have worked together to investigate all alternative scheduling options but unfortunately, it has not been possible to find a time for the tour that would work for both Boards in relation to the respective domestic tournaments and player availability.

 The scheduled programme had included one IT20, three ODIs and two Youth Tests against England U19s, which had been set to run between 16 August and 3 September 2020.

 As the current environment makes it impractical to plan to host alternative opposition, the decision has had to be taken not to run a competitive England U19 programme this summer.

 “CWI and the ECB have agreed to cancel a proposed U19 tour of the UK due to scheduling issues. The situation is an unfortunate one as we had planned for the tour to be the end of a two-year development cycle for this group of U19 players,” said CWI Director of Cricket Jimmy Adams.

 “This tour to the UK added to the recent World Cup in January, and the tri-series that we hosted in Dec of last year would have given this cohort an excellent competitive component to cap their 2-year U19 program.

 “That said, we will continue to follow up on the cohort, especially those not contracted to franchises, through our Emerging Player program, which has so far facilitated many of our upcoming players who fall in the 19-23 category. Thankfully, while the tour to the UK will not proceeds this year, the ECB are committed to hosting our U19s at a mutually convenient time in the future.”

 Mo Bobat, ECB Performance Director said cancelling the summer programme for their U19 side was not an easy decision to take.

 “But with it not having been possible to identify a window for the tour that works for both Boards - and in the current climate - it is certainly the most appropriate step,” he said.

 “Our young players benefit greatly from these competitive matches against their peers from around the world, not just in preparation for the biennial U19 World Cups, but also to prepare them for the rigours of international cricket.

 “The squad learned a lot from their tri-series in Antigua in December 2019, so we look forward to welcoming the West Indians back to the UK in the future.”

With the countdown already begun towards the start of the marquee event in the UAE, Skerritt has asked the fanbase and all stakeholders to help create a winning West Indian spirit of passion and unity, in the face of a global battle. The West Indies team is going in pursuit of an unprecedented third ICC T20 World title.

“The selectors have produced a fit-for-purpose squad, which is a rich mixture of experienced leadership, proven match-winners, and youthful talent. For the first time in years, the selectors had good options within a growing pool of exciting West Indian talent," the CWI President said.

"But this is a major world tournament, not a development tour. All the best teams in the world will be setting out to dethrone the West Indies as defending champions. And just coping with the discomfort of an ongoing COVID-19 bubble will be tough enough for the players. So the mental toughness of our team will be stiffly tested both on and off the field. That is at least one good reason why they deserve our support. If you are a West Indian fan, then this is your team no matter which territory the players hail from.”

According to the CWI President, a successful World Cup journey requires "all of us who love and support the game and who have seriously studied the fortunes of West Indies cricket, come together and send positive vibes to Captain Pollard and the members of his squad, no matter what.”

The last time the T20I tournament was staged in 2016, West Indies beat England in spectacular fashion at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, to capture their second title. The first T20 World Cup victory came in 2012 when they beat Sri Lanka at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. West indies have also reached the semi-finals on two occasions – in 2009 in England and 2014 in Bangladesh.

Head Coach Phil Simmons will be looking to make it back-to-back titles as he was the mastermind behind the title to success in 2016. Captain Kieron Pollard will also be looking for a second world title as he was an influential member of the squad which won in 2012.

West Indies have shown encouraging form this year in the build-up to the tournament. They contested four CG Insurance T20I home series against Sri Lanka, South Africa, Australia, and Pakistan. They played 17 matches – won 8, lost 6, with three “no results” due to bad weather.

The squad is due to assemble in the UAE in early October, where they will have a training camp before finetuning the final preparations, including warm-up matches against Pakistan and India.

West Indies have been drawn in Group 1 and will play five group games against England, South Africa and Australia along with the winner of Round 1 Group A (Sri Lanka, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Namibia) and the runner-up from Round 1 Group B (Bangladesh, Scotland, Papua New Guinea, and Oman). West Indies’ first group game will be against England in Dubai on October 23.