Gov't to facilitate TT players for England tour

MINISTER of National Security Stuart Young said he is willing to facilitate the TT players on the West Indies squad who will need clearance to travel to Antigua to meet their West Indies team-mates.

After a Cricket West Indies (CWI) meeting on Thursday, the regional cricket body gave the green light "in principle" for the West Indies three-match Test tour of England, expected to start on July 8.

After months of speculation, CWI is comfortable with the covid19 measures in place and is willing to send its players to England.

The 25-man West Indies squad will meet in Antigua within the next two weeks, before taking a chartered flight to England.

The Ministry of National Security will have to step in to get the TT players to Antigua, as TT’s borders are still closed.

At a media briefing on Saturday, Young said, “What I can say without fear of contradiction is that minutes to one this morning the Prime Minister emailed to me a message from CWI. I reached out to the CEO of Cricket West Indies (Johnny Grave) this morning asking for them to provide us with the details for the TT players. They want to go on that tour to England and it will be facilitated.”

A CWI release on Friday, said, “CWI will continue to fine-tune the various arrangements with the England and Wales Cricket Board, whilst they await final United Kingdom Government approval of their plans for a bio-secure tour.”

The UK is greatly affected by the virus with over 270,000 cases and over 38,000 deaths.