CRICKET West Indies (CWI) is set to announce that they will be playing two T20i matches against Bangladesh in the United States in August, however, reported matches against Pakistan on US soil may have to wait until sometime in 2019.

Sport360 had reported in February that the Windies were set to play in a triangular T20i tournament in Florida in August involving Bangladesh and Pakistan. Windies sources, however, told SportsMax.TV that Pakistan was never a part of that tournament.

But, while it is still unclear what arrangements CWI has with Pakistan to play matches in the USA, this won’t happen until possibly 2019, according to CWI CEO Johnny Grave.
“We going to announce shortly, if not tomorrow, that we are going to be playing two games against Bangladesh in the USA in August, our first match back in the US since the India Games in 2016,” Grave told SportsMax.TV Thursday.

“And we are still working with Pakistan and other nations trying to identify windows when we have actually got 10 days when we can go and play some matches (against Pakistan).
Grave explained that the Windies has a packed schedule with a number of overseas tours interspersed with tournaments. This, he said, is the biggest impediment to playing matches against Pakistan anytime within the next 12 months.

“As soon as the IPL finishes we have the charity game at Lords, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, and then the Caribbean Premier League. Then, there is a window there but then there is the Asia Cup and obviously Pakistan in playing in that,” Grave said.

“Then we go to India, Bangladesh and we have England at home. Then it’s onto the Pakistan Super League, the IPL and the Cricket World Cup. It’s non-stop cricket for the next 12 months and there isn’t a window so we are working with Pakistan to see exactly when we might be able to schedule the games.

“2019 is when we are trying to find a window for, but all the nations in the world are going through their schedules after the Cricket World Cup. We are hoping to find an opportunity there. We have to be available when Pakistan is available and then obviously we have to find decent conditions in Florida for cricket.”

Notwithstanding the challenge, Grave said CWI is still committed to developing the game in the USA and the Americas.
“We have Bangladesh in Florida and then we are working with Cricket Canada on some initiatives so there is still plenty of work going on but the actual matches against Pakistan are proving a bit difficult at this time.”

West Indies played three T20 matches against Pakistan in Karachi on April 1, 2, and 3 this year. The home side won all three matches in the series that represented the first international matches played in that country since 2009. (SportsMax).