The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will “look at” the unusual move of funding a women’s Test in the West Indies next year to help England’s Ashes preparations.
A Test in the Caribbean, part of a multi-format series in the spring of 2027, has been announced for 2024 and is scheduled ahead of England’s bid to win back the Ashes from Australia.
Last week, Cricket West Indies (CWI) announced a wide range of money-saving measures, including cutting player contracts.
The West Indies’ women’s Test against Australia in March was scrapped, although the white-ball element of the tour went ahead.
There was no discussion between the ECB and the CWI regarding the cancellation of the Test.
The tour as a whole – including three T20s and three one-day internationals in April and May next year – is not under threat, although exact dates and venues are still to be confirmed.
Asked by BBC Sport if the Test was in doubt, ECB president Richard Thompson said: “I hope not. It’s not expected to be called off. I hope it happens.”
However, when Thompson was told that the ECB might need to provide some funding for the Test to take place, he said his organization would “look at” the situation if it arose.
Governing bodies usually have mutual arrangements for the home team to cover the visiting team’s logistical expenses, including things like travel and accommodation.
In the West Indies these can be inflated by the cost of flying to the West Indies and visiting players between islands. Last week, CWI said it had spent more than $80 million on domestic air travel over the past 15 years.
Thompson pointed to a similarly unusual situation when the Zimbabwean men’s team played a test in England last year in which the ECB paid a tour fee to the visitors.
“We want this Test match to happen,” said Thompson. “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.
“We’ve got to play somewhere and we’d much prefer it to be the West Indies.
“We all have a lot of sympathy for the West Indies, we all want to see a successful West Indian nation. They have very unique challenges and I hope that through the International Cricket Council and others we can overcome that.”
The first game of the multi-format women’s Ashes series is the only Test at Headingley in June – the only Test for men or women north of Nottingham next summer.
England played a Test at the start of 2025 after losing every game on the Ashes tour of Australia – losing to India at Lord’s earlier this year.
They haven’t played the West Indies in a women’s Test since 1979, while the West Indies haven’t played a Test against anyone since they toured Pakistan in 2004.
The West Indies test is part of England’s Ashes Test preparations. In January, the team will participate in a 10-day red ball training camp in India.
In 2023, England played Australia A and Australia played England A as Test matches, and this arrangement could be repeated in 2027. Plans are also being finalized to potentially involve local players in red ball cricket early next season.
Thompson was speaking at Lord’s as the ECB launched initiatives to introduce cricket to more than 1,700 public secondary schools and more than 3,500 teachers.
“Cricket for Teachers” and “Secondary Countdown Cricket” are part of the ECB’s aim to reach half of all state secondary schools in England and Wales by the end of 2028.
Earlier this year, a report by the Sutton Trust found that cricket is one of the most elite jobs in the country, with 59% of male professionals and 50% of female professionals receiving private education.
“We really want teachers to be able to improve their skills and be able to coach,” Thompson said. “The second part is to do something that no other team sport has been able to do, which is bring boys and girls together under 16.
“It adds to the path. It’s another step for a late developer, or an opportunity for someone to think if they want to play the game with a proper, hard ball.
“It makes sense that we want to reach a million and a half kids who have never played this game before. It’s a significant program and the ambition behind it.”