Australia to play three Tests during 2025 tour of West Indies

Australia to play three Tests during 2025 tour of West Indies. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

Australia will play three Tests during their 2025 tour of the West Indies after Cricket Australia (CA) and Cricket West Indies (CWI) agreed to expand the original schedule of two Test matches which is set to take place in June-July.

The series will be part of the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, which asks for a minimum of two Tests between participating teams. Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley, who will step down in March 2024, has been asking for the three-Test series as the standard minimum. Hockley confirmed the news and expressed his enthusiasm about the upgraded schedule.

“I am really glad that is going to manifest. We’re still waiting for an official announcement from the West Indies Cricket Board around precise dates and precise locations but it will be a three-Test series which is obviously big,” he told SEN radio.

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It’s another great opportunity: Nick Hockley

Australia’s previous Test series in the Caribbean took place in 2015, where they dominated with victories in Dominica and Jamaica. This upcoming tour will be the first time the teams have played a three-match series in the West Indies since 2012, when Australia secured a 2-0 victory.

“It’s another great opportunity. The World Test Championship prescribed that we needed to play two, at least two. But really, for the fans and for the players, you don’t want to be stuck in the position when it’s one-on-one and everyone is feeling unsatisfied,” he added.

The most recent clash between the sides, held in Australia earlier this year, ended in a 1-1 draw. The highlight of the series was West Indies pacer Shamar Joseph’s heroics at the Gabba, where he guided a rare Test win over Australia, breaking a 21-year drought.

While the exact venues are yet to be confirmed, according to ESPNcricinfo reports Barbados, Grenada, and Jamaica are potential hosts. The tour will also feature three ODIs and three T20Is. Meanwhile, Australia is eyeing a place in this year’s WTC final at Lord’s and will aim to carry momentum into the next cycle. For the West Indies, the series is a significant opportunity to play against one of the world’s strongest Test teams on their home turf.

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