Windies set to play warm-up games in Ja

The West Indies senior team is set to fly into Jamaica two weeks ahead of schedule as the Phil Simmons-coached team will play two intra-squad warm-up games at Sabina Park ahead of the two-Test matches against Pakistan, which is slated for August 12-24.

STAR Sports understands that a three-day and four-day squad match is scheduled for sometime between late July and early August between an extended West Indies Test squad.

The regional side was originally scheduled to fly into Jamaica on August 8, just four days before the first Test, however, it is understood that head coach Phil Simmons had recommended to Cricket West Indies that a longer period of preparation would be needed and that the team should travel to Jamaica 14 days before the first Test.

Cricket West Indies CEO, Johnny Grave, in a WhatsApp message, said the entity is looking at exploring all options to best prepare the Test players for the Pakistan series.

Five-match T20I Series

Pakistan are scheduled to arrive in Barbados on July 21 ahead of their five-match T20I Series, with the first two matches to be played at Kensington Oval before travelling to Guyana to play the concluding three T20Is at Guyana's National Stadium from July 31 to August 3.

The West Indies and Pakistan teams will then travel to Jamaica for two back-to-back Test matches at Sabina Park. The last match will conclude three days before the start of the Caribbean Premier League in St Kitts.

In the meantime, the new plans by Cricket West Indies have halted the plans of the Jamaica Cricket Association, which was scheduled to host three four-day practice matches.

CEO Courtney Francis told STAR Sports that the practice games were to be used to look at the best talent on the island since there was no regional championship this year due to the global pandemic.

Francis said the practice games would now have to be rescheduled until after the Caribbean Premier League, which will take place from August 25 to September 15.