ECB says it would "look at" funding women's Test in West Indies for 2027 Ashes preparation

The England and Wales Cricket Board said it would "look at" funding a women's Test in the West Indies in spring 2027 to assist England's preparations for the women's Ashes, which are due to follow that multi-format series.

The Test in the Caribbean was announced in 2024 and is scheduled before England's bid to regain the Ashes from Australia. Cricket West Indies recently announced a range of money-saving measures, including cuts to player contracts, and a women's Test due to be hosted by West Indies against Australia in March was cancelled while the white-ball matches on that tour went ahead.

There have been no discussions between the ECB and Cricket West Indies about cancelling the 2027 Test, and the tour as a whole — including three T20s and three one-day internationals in April and May next year — is not under threat, though exact dates and venues are still to be confirmed. Asked by BBC Sport if the Test was in doubt, ECB chair Richard Thompson said: "I hope not. That's not expected to be cancelled. I hope it will take place." He added that his organisation would "look at" the situation should it arise.

Governing bodies typically agree that the home board covers logistical costs for visiting teams, including travel and accommodation. In the West Indies those costs can be higher because of the need to fly players between islands; CWI said it has spent more than $80m on domestic air travel in the past 15 years.

Thompson referenced a recent precedent in which the ECB paid a touring fee when the Zimbabwe men's team played a Test in England last year and said: "We want that Test match to play out." He also stressed the value of a red-ball warm-up, saying: "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 be playing somewhere and we'd much prefer that to be the West Indies. We all have a huge sympathy for the West Indies, we all want to see a successful West Indian nation. They have very unique challenges and I hope through the International Cricket Council and others we can find a way through this."

England have played only one Test since they lost every game on the Ashes tour of Australia in early 2025 — a defeat by India at Lord's earlier this year. England have not played West Indies in a women's Test since 1979, and West Indies have not played a Test against anyone since a trip to Pakistan in 2004. As part of their preparations for the 2027 Ashes Test, England will hold a 10-day red-ball training camp in India in January; the 2023 approach of England and Australia using A teams as Test warm-ups could be repeated in 2027, and plans for domestic players to be involved in red-ball cricket early next season are being finalised.

Thompson made his remarks at Lord's while launching ECB programmes that aim to take cricket to more than 1,700 state secondary schools and to train more than 3,500 teachers. The initiatives, named 'Cricket for Teachers' and 'Secondary Countdown Cricket', form part of an ECB target to reach half of all state secondary schools in England and Wales by the end of 2028. Citing a Sutton Trust report, Thompson noted that 59% of male professionals and 50% of women in the game were privately educated and said: "We really want teachers to upskill and be able to coach." He added: "The second part is to be able to do something no other team sport can do, which is bring boys and girls together until the age of 16. This adds to the pathway. It's another stepping stone for a late developer, or an opportunity for someone to think they want to play the game properly, with a hardball. It's meaningful in that we want to reach one and a half million children who have never played the game before. That's a significant programme and the ambition that sits behind this."

The West Indies Test remains part of England's scheduled lead-up to the women's Ashes in 2027, and while the overall tour appears secure the precise fixtures and venues for the April–May white-ball matches and the Test are yet to be confirmed.