ECB ready to fund England women's Test in West Indies if needed
ECB chair Richard Thompson said the board will consider funding if Cricket West Indies struggles to host England's women's Test next spring.
The England and Wales Cricket Board could step in financially to ensure England's women play a Test in the West Indies next spring as preparation for the 2027 Ashes. ECB chair Richard Thompson told the BBC the board would look at providing financial help if Cricket West Indies faced difficulties staging the match.
Thompson said the ECB wants the Test because England need more red-ball cricket before the Ashes. He added that the board has huge sympathy for the West Indies and hopes a solution can be found through the ICC.
England have played just one Test since their 2025 Ashes defeat and have not faced West Indies in a women's Test since 1979. West Indies last played a Test in 2004. The tour also includes three T20s and three ODIs.
CricHubb Take
England's willingness to underwrite the tour financially shows how little red-ball preparation time remains before the 2027 Ashes and how dependent the schedule is on host boards' solvency.