The West Indies will host South Africa, Australia and Pakistan in back-to-back visits from June to August 2021, Cricket West Indies (CWI) announced yesterday.

The Test and Twenty20 International series against South Africa, which was rescheduled from 2020, will kick-start West Indies’ international summer.

South Africa will arrive in St Lucia on June 1 where they will play two Tests, followed by five T20Is in Grenada from June 26 to July 3. This will be the first time since 2010 that South Africa will play bilateral cricket in the West Indies.

Australia’s white-ball tour will begin in St. Lucia with five T20Is between July 9 and 24, followed by three ODIs in Barbados. The ODIs will provide the opportunity for West Indies to add on to their points towards the ICC ODI Super League, currently on 30, for West Indies to qualify automatically for the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup.

Meanwhile, Pakistan will arrive in Barbados on July 21 for their five-match T20I series. Two of their five games will be played at the Kensington Oval before they move to Guyana for the remaining three from June 26 to 29.

The two sides will then move to Jamaica for two Tests at Sabina Park from August 12 to August 24, ending four days shy of the start of the Caribbean Premier League.

The summer schedule features a total of 15 T20Is for the defending champions, in preparation for their title defence at the ICC T20 World Cup scheduled to be played in October-November 2021. (Agencies)