´óÏó´«Ã½

England will play a women’s Test in West Indies for the first time as part of the new Future Tours Programme.

West Indies, who have not played a Test since 2004, are scheduled to host England for one Test, three one-day internationals and three T20s in April and May 2027.

It will be the first meeting between the sides in the longest format since 1979.

As part of the new cycle, which runs from 2025 to early 2029, England will also play Tests against India, Australia and South Africa.

England captain Heather Knight has been among those who have called for more women's Tests.

England play Tests in South Africa and Australia this winter at the end of the current cycle.

They are scheduled to tour Pakistan for the first time in 2027. They were due to play in Pakistan in 2021 but the tour was cancelled because of security concerns.

The new schedule also includes a window largely free of international cricket in August to coincide with The Hundred – a boost to the England and Wales Cricket Board’s competition.

Zimbabwe have been added to the FTP for the first time.

West Indies will host a Test against Australia in 2026 and play South Africa away in the format in 2028.

Johnny Grave, whose tenure as Cricket West Indies chief executive ended last week, raised the prospect of the Windies playing a Test at the iconic Kensington Oval.

West Indies are captained by Barbados-born all-rounder Hayley Matthews.

"When you have an iconic player, who will go down in history of our game, in Hayley Mathews it seems right she will have the opportunity to wear a maroon Test cap and lead her team out, hopefully at her home ground of the Kensington Oval at some point in a Test," told the Stumped podcast.

"Our philosophy has been that red-ball cricket is where you can build your technique, hone your defence and look to score all around the wicket.

"If that is what we believe for the men then it has to be the case for the women."

No Test cricket has been scheduled for New Zealand. Some had hoped their T20 World Cup win last month could lead to a first Test for the White Ferns since 2004.