England Women’s Team (PTI Photo)
England Women have made a significant change to their international schedule ahead of the highly anticipated 2027 Women’s Ashes, dropping the planned Test match against the West Indies in April to create additional preparation time for their red-ball showdown with Australia at Headingley. The decision comes as England look to strengthen their red-ball preparations ahead of the Women’s Ashes Test against Australia, scheduled to begin on June 24, 2027. The ECB confirmed that Cricket West Indies (CWI) agreed to the change following discussions between the two boards. The dates and venues for the three ODIs and three T20Is will be announced by CWI in due course.
“We appreciate the constructive conversations with Cricket West Indies that have enabled us to look forward to an exciting tour of the Caribbean before focusing our attention back on our home summer,” Gould said in a statement. The ECB has instead arranged four multi-day matches in home conditions to provide players with valuable experience in the longer format. England’s tour of the Caribbean will take place in April, shortly after the start of the domestic season. However, the revised schedule will no longer include the Test match that was initially part of the tour. The Caribbean tour will begin after the opening round of the domestic One-Day Cup, allowing England players to participate in the competition before departing for the West Indies.
England’s Ashes preparations will begin well before the home summer, with the red-ball squad scheduled to attend a 10-day training camp in Bengaluru in January. The camp will take place ahead of the inaugural ICC Women’s Champions Trophy, which is scheduled to be held in Vadodara and Mumbai from February 14 to 28. With the West Indies Test removed from the schedule, England will focus on an extensive red-ball preparation programme ahead of the Ashes.
The team will play three intra-squad matches featuring the country’s leading players, followed by a three-day warm-up fixture against Australia A shortly before the Ashes Test begins at Headingley.