Australian cricket team to tour Caribbean to play five T20s, three ODIs

Dates for Australia's only confirmed series before the T20 World Cup have been locked, with Justin Langer's team set to play eight white-ball matches against the West Indies in July. Australia is going to tour the Caribbean for the first time in five years to play five T20s and three ODIs. The T20s take place between July 9 and July 16 in St Lucia before three ODIs in Barbados between July 20 and July 24.

The 20-over matches will begin at a pleasant time on Australia's east coast at 09:30 (AEST), while the one-day competitions will start earlier at 04:30.

Extra weight will be given to the 50-over matches that will double for points in the ODI Super League, which will determine who automatically passes for the 2023 World Cup. At the same time, the T20 matches will work as an important development for this year World Cup, which is suspected of taking place in India from October. Australia has not yet signed up to appear in any other format before the tournament, although a T20 tour through Bangladesh was hosted later this year.

Australia's last tour of the Caribbean was an ODI three-series in 2016 that included South Africa. The country's group for July's tour is expected to be named next week.

It is unclear whether Australia will take a full showdown after many players - including the stars of David Warner, Steve Smith and Pat Cummins - the multi-format could not return home from India after the IPL was postponed.

They are expected to return home this weekend and will be quarantined until the end of the month before the prospect of doing so again in July.

AUSTRALIA TOUR OF THE WEST INDIES 2021 

First T20: Daren Sammy Stadium, St Lucia, July 10

Second T20: Daren Sammy Stadium, St Lucia, July 11

Third T20: Daren Sammy Stadium, St Lucia, July 13

Fourth T20: Daren Sammy Stadium, St Lucia, July 15

Fifth T20: Daren Sammy Stadium, St Lucia, July 17

First ODI: Kensington Oval, Barbados, July 21

Second ODI: Kensington Oval, Barbados, July 23