CWI drops a T20I from home series against Pakistan
In a major development, Cricket West Indies (CWI) has now dropped a T20I from the home series against Pakistan. The two teams will now play four games, instead of five. The series, which was set to begin on July 27, has now been postponed to July 28. Meanwhile, the schedule for the following two-match Test series remains unchanged. Here are further details.
The CWI board official confirmed the development
"Yes, we have canceled the first T20I and play the rest of the tour as originally planned. We have to prioritize the ODI Super League and the World Test Championship really. It was the most logical choice," the CWI official confirmed the development.
Why did CWI change the schedule?
The change in schedule comes after the second ODI between West Indies and Australia was postponed as a positive COVID-19 test emerged in the WI camp. The same ODI was pushed to July 24, while the third ODI will be played on July 26. The final ODI will followed by the first T20I between West Indies and Pakistan on July 28.
The schedule for rest of T20Is and Tests
The second, third and fourth T20Is between WI and Pakistan will be played on July 31, August 1 and August 3 respectively at Providence Stadium in Guyana. Meanwhile, the two Tests will start on August 12 and 20 respectively, at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica.
Here is what CWI president Ricky Skerritt said
Ricky Skerritt, the Cricket West Indies president, on the development, said, "Together with the PCB, we have examined various scenarios, and we jointly agreed that the best solution in the present circumstances is to cancel the first T20I and play a four-match T20I series starting on Wednesday and keep the rest of the tour schedule unchanged."
CWI couldn't accommodate all matches
It is understood that CWI couldn't accommodate all games, owing to the packed schedule. It had previously agreed to a request from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to change the start date of this year's Caribbean Premier League (CPL) from August 28 to August 26. The CPL schedule was changed in order to avoid a clash with the IPL.
