Cricket West Indies has pencilled in a busy 2026, with three touring sides spread across two months of Caribbean sunshine and, occasionally, tropical showers. Sri Lanka and Pakistan will contest World Test Championship fixtures, while New Zealand drop in solely for one-day cricket. It all feels full, but manageable.
Key details first
• Sri Lanka: six white-ball games in Kingston, followed by two Tests in Antigua (25-29 June and 3-7 July).
• New Zealand: five ODIs split between Guyana and Barbados, 11-21 July.
• Pakistan: two Tests in Trinidad & Tobago, 25-29 July (Brian Lara Cricket Academy) and 2-6 August (Queen’s Park Oval).
Those eight Tests matter. West Indies sit bottom of the current WTC table – seven defeats in eight – and need whatever points they can scrounge. The white-ball stuff counts for ranking points and gate receipts, but the red-ball docket is where reputations recover.
The logistics wobble
Guyana had been handed all five ODIs against New Zealand. Then flights, hotel blocks and a pinch of cost changed the mood. In the words of CWI chief executive Chris Dehring:
“Cricket West Indies engaged in discussions with the government of the co-operative Republic of Guyana regarding logistical challenges associated with hosting the five ODIs. Subsequently, the governments of Guyana and Barbados proposed a collaborative arrangement to share the matches and associated operational costs between the two territories,” he said.
And the follow-up, unchanged:
“Following consultation with New Zealand Cricket, Cricket West Indies approved the arrangement as part of its continued commitment to delivering a successful and memorable series for players, fans, and the wider Caribbean community.”
So, three games stay in Providence, the last two shift to Kensington Oval. Hardly dramatic, yet it shows how thin the margins can be for a regional board.
‘WI OUTSIDE!’
CWI’s summer marketing push leans on a simple slogan: WI OUTSIDE! Dehring, again, does the explaining:
“West Indies cricket has always been about more than what happens on the field. It is about people, passion, culture, pride, and the unmatched energy that comes alive when our fans rally behind the maroon,” he said.
“WI OUTSIDE! is a celebration of that spirit and an invitation to every cricket fan and proud West Indian to come out, fill the stands, wave their flags, and create the kind of atmosphere that makes West Indies cricket special”
“We want this summer to feel like a movement across the region, where fans are fully engaged with the team and part of the experience every step of the way.”
A touch of marketing speak, sure, but the sentiment resonates. Crowds were thin for parts of the 2024 cycle; a bit of noise will help.
What it means on the field
Sri Lanka and Pakistan provide contrasting Test challenges. Sri Lanka travel well, bring relentless spin and, if fit, a seam attack with a point to prove. Pakistan’s visits are rarer now; their left-arm quicks could be lively on the Brian Lara Cricket Academy surface. West Indies, meanwhile, have four months after the England away trip to reset their red-ball group. Selection will be watched closely – especially around the top order, which struggled all winter.
New Zealand’s ODIs might feel tacked on, yet they arrive with a generational batting core who relish low, slow tracks. Good preparation, perhaps, for West Indies’ own 2027 Champions Trophy ambitions.
Full schedule
Sri Lanka tour
3 June – 1st ODI, Sabina Park
6 June – 2nd ODI, Sabina Park
9 June – 3rd ODI, Sabina Park
11 June – 1st T20I, Sabina Park
13 June – 2nd T20I, Sabina Park
14 June – 3rd T20I, Sabina Park
25-29 June – 1st Test, Sir Vivian Richards Stadium
3-7 July – 2nd Test, Sir Vivian Richards Stadium
New Zealand tour
11 July – 1st ODI, Guyana National Stadium
14 July – 2nd ODI, Guyana National Stadium
17 July – 3rd ODI, Guyana National Stadium
19 July – 4th ODI, Kensington Oval
21 July – 5th ODI, Kensington Oval
Pakistan tour
25-29 July – 1st Test, Brian Lara Cricket Academy
2-6 August – 2nd Test, Queen’s Park Oval
Plenty there for die-hards and casuals alike. The cricket itself will decide how noisy WI OUTSIDE! becomes, but at least the dates are inked in.
