ECB announces schedule for Men's and Women's Cricket team for home summer 2021

England will take on India in five Tests from August to September 2021.

Published - 18 Nov 2020, 16:33 IST | Updated - 18 Nov 2020, 16:33 IST

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After hosting West Indies, Ireland, Pakistan, and Australia in the Summer of 2020 despite the restrictions due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has now announced the schedule of the Men’s cricket team along with the Women’s and visually impaired cricket for summer 2021.

As per the current plans by ECB, the Men’s cricket team is set to play a three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka followed by a three-match ODI and as many T20I matches with Pakistan. The highlight of the schedule is the five-match Test series against India from August 4 to September 14 at five different venues namely Trent Bridge, Lord’s, Headingley, The Oval, and Emirates Old Trafford.

The England Women’s team will be locking horns against South Africa in an ODI and T20I series followed by the New Zealand tour of England. The England Visually Impaired team is also planning to host Australia in a limited-overs series in August.

Apart from the aforementioned tours, the England cricket team is open to hosting additional men’s bilateral series but is waiting for the International Cricket Council (ICC) to confirm the schedule of the World Test Championship. It is speculated that ICC can conduct the final of the Test Championship in June 2021.

The cricket board has decided to sell the tickets of the Men’s matches via a ticket ballot. General sale tickets will be available from 12 January 2021. Also, the spectators will get a full refund in case the match gets cancelled or the venue or time changes due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Tom Harrison opines on England’s schedule for Summer 2021

Speaking about the schedule for 2021, the chief executive officer of ECB, Tom Harrison stated that they had an amazing summer of international cricket in 2020 which provided entertainment to the fans in these difficult times. He added that the Board hopes of conducting the matches with the fans in the stadium next year.

“We had an amazing summer of international cricket this year with some memorable performances, and we know how much enjoyment it brought to people whilst staying at home. Next year we’ve got another big international programme to look forward to, with the thrill of a five-Test series against India as the centrepiece, compelling white ball series for our men and women, and an Ashes Series for our Visually Impaired team,” Harrison said.

“It’s an exciting prospect for England fans, and while Covid means there’s still a great deal of uncertainty, we really hope to be able to welcome fans back into the grounds safely next year to bring that unique atmosphere to stadiums across the country,” he added.