BRIDGETOWN, Barbados CMC – Florida in the United States will host the two Twenty20 Internationals on New Zealand’s tour of the Caribbean later this year. A source close to the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) confirmed to CMC Sports that the two T20Is, scheduled for June 30 and July 1, will be played at the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium.
In recent years, New Zealand Cricket has been keen on exploring the US market and played two T20s against Sri Lanka at the venue in 2010.
To date, it is the only time international cricket has been played in the US and the West Indies matches are likely to provide a huge fillip for cricket development in that market.
The matches will also provide the opportunity for the large West Indian community residing in the south-eastern American state to get a taste of international cricket and following these matches, West Indies and New Zealand will return to the region to clash in five One-Day Internationals and two Tests, from July 5 to August 6.
Jamaica’s Sabina Park, at the centre of controversy after being ignored for Australia’s tour of the Caribbean starting later this month, will host the first two ODIs along with the first Test.
Only recently, Jamaica’s Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller said she was disappointed the venue would not host any matches during the Australia tour, sparking a war of words with the WICB.
The two ODIs are scheduled for July 5 and 7 while the Test will bowl off August 2-6.
Meanwhile, Warner Park in St Kitts will host the other three ODIs on July 11, 14 and 16 with the Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium in Antigua staging the first Test from July 25 to 29.
The series will be part of a busy itinerary for West Indies this year as it will be preceded by a tour of England and Australia’s visit to the Caribbean.