Fans in Trinidad and Tobago will get to see South Africa battle the West Indies in the opening Test of their two-match series at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port-of-Spain next July.
The South Africans are due to arrive in T&T during the first week of July and will play a warm-up match at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba, San Fernando, before playing the first Test from July 23-27 at the Oval.
They then go to St Lucia for the second Test and this will be followed by five T20s in Fort Lauderdale, USA (2) and Jamaica (3).
The decision has welcomed T&T Cricket Board (TTCB) president Azim Bassarath.
“We are very happy to be hosting the South Africans here. It has been a long time that our fans have not seen the South Africans in our backyard and it is good to see them coming here," Bassarath said on Friday.
“We have hosted matches here successfully and we will continue to ensure that any cricket that comes here is taken care of in the most professional manner.”
Three international teams will be coming to the West Indies next year. Ireland will be followed by New Zealand and then South Africa.
Ireland will come as early as January 4 and will play three One Day internationals to be followed by three T20s. The West Indies will then fly to England to defend the Wisden Trophy they won in the Caribbean earlier this year. They will play three Test matches with no one-day internationals or T20s there.
After this tour, New Zealand comes to the Caribbean to play three ODIs and three T20s and this will be followed by the South Africa tour to the region and the United States. The West Indies will play five T20s against South Africa because they will go into battle in the ICC World T20 in Australia in October, where they will be defending their crown.
Meanwhile, Windsor Park in Dominica is also set to return as a venue for West Indies’ cricket next year when it hosts two limited-overs fixtures on the New Zealand tour as the region braces for a heavy itinerary.
The venue suffered damage when Hurricane Maria devastated Dominica two years ago, leaving hundreds of millions in damage and over 31 people dead.
Windsor Park had its last taste of international cricket earlier in 2017 when Pakistan beat the West Indies on a dramatic final day of the last Test.
Having returned to the domestic schedule this year when it staged a first-class match between Windward Islands Volcanoes and Leeward Islands Hurricanes in February, the venue will play host to one ODI and a T20 International – one of 11 West Indies are expected to play ahead of the T20 World Cup in Australia next year.
The three-year home cycle, which will see Sri Lanka, Australia and Pakistan touring in 2021 and England, Bangladesh and India arriving the following year, was announced yesterday Cricket West Indies.
“This is a significant step forward for CWI and cricket fans and stakeholders across the region,” said CWI chief executive, Johnny Grave.
“Not only does this provide a full calendar of international fixtures which allows us to better plan and schedule our cricket, but it allows everyone who supports and loves cricket to know when the next big game or tournament is coming.”
WEST INDIES INTERNATIONAL SCHEDULE 2020
Ireland in West Indies 2020
January 4: 50-over warm-up match – Three Ws Oval, Barbados
January 7: 1st Colonial Medical Insurance ODI – Kensington Oval, Barbados
January 9: 2nd Colonial Medical Insurance ODI – Kensington Oval
January 12: 3rd Colonial Medical Insurance ODI – Grenada National Stadium, Grenada
January 15: 1st T20I – Grenada National Stadium
January 18: 2nd T20I – Warner Park, St Kitts
January 19: 3rd T20I – Warner Park, St Kitts
West Indies in England 2020 (Wisden Trophy Series)
June 4-8: 1st Test – The Oval
June 12-16: 2nd Test – Edgbaston
June 25-29: 3rd Test - Lords
New Zealand in West Indies 2020
July 8: 1st Colonial Medical Insurance ODI – Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground, Antigua
July 10: 2nd Colonial Medical Insurance ODI – Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground
July 13: 3rd Colonial Medical Insurance ODI – Windsor Park, Dominica
July 15: 1st T20I – Windsor Park
July 18: 2nd T20I – Guyana National Stadium, Guyana
July 19: 3rd T20I – Guyana National Stadium
South Africa in West Indies 2020
July 15-19: warm-up match – Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad
July 23-27: 1st Test – Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad
July 31 to August 4: 2nd Test – Daren Sammy Stadium, Saint Lucia
August 8: 1st T20I – Broward County Stadium, USA
August 9: 2nd T20I – Broward County Stadium, USA
August 12: 3rd T20I – Sabina Park, Jamaica
August 15: 4th T20I – Sabina Park
August 16: 5th T20I – Sabina Park
West Indies ICC T20 World Cup 2020
October 25: vs New Zealand – Melbourne Cricket Ground
October 28: vs Australia – Perth Stadium
October 30: vs Qualifier B2 – Perth Stadium
November 3: vs Pakistan – Adelaide Oval
November 7: vs Qualifier A1 – Melbourne Cricket Ground
November 11: Semifinal 1 – Sydney Cricket Ground
November 12: Semifinal 2 – Adelaide Oval
November 15: FINAL – Melbourne Cricket Ground