England to tour West Indies

West Indies will host England in a three-match One-Day International series early next year.

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) announced that the tour will start from Feb. 22 to March 9 and will see two ODIs played at the Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua and the final game at Kensington Oval, Barbados.

WICB Chief Executive Officer Michael Murihead said the series represented a chance for West Indies to continue to improve their quest to improve their ODI rankings.

England will play warm-up matches against the WICB President’s XI in St. Kitts in Feb. 25 and again two days later before facing the West Indies in the first ODI on March 3 and again on March 5. The two teams will clash in the final ODI on March 9.

England’s Director of Cricket Andre Strauss said the tour would be key to the side’s preparation for the ICC Champions Trophy.

England toured the Caribbean last year for a three-Test tour, which finished 1-1 and also toured for three ODIs and three Twenty20 Internationals, two years ago.