India to face-off against West Indies in Florida next year

India are currently involved in a five-match Test series against England which they trail by a margin of 2-1. After the UK tour, the Indian team will participate in the Asia Cup followed by a trip to Australia later this year after which the hosts’ will visit India on tour in early 2019.

However, fresh reports have emerged that the senior cricket team will be involved in at least one T20I against West Indies in Florida in July next year. This will take place immediately after the 2019 World Cup, as part of the Caribbean nation’s long-term strategy to play a minimum of two T20Is in North America every year until 2022.

"There's full board support as part of our strategic plan over the next five years to bring regular games into the Americas. So not always talking about USA, we're talking about Canada and other parts to try to grow the sport. The whole ICC strategic plan is around growing the game and we're huge advocates of Associate cricket.

"We want to grow the game. We're big advocates of playing in the Olympics even though one might argue that's quite complicated because effectively we'd be playing as the separate sovereign countries of the West Indies - but we don't have a problem with that," Cricket West Indies CEO Jonny Grave told ESPNcricinfo during the Caribbean Premier League matches in Florida.

As the USA Cricket Board is still not fully functional, Grave said CWI will seek the ICC's permission directly to host the matches in Northern America. The T20Is are expected to be primetime attractions and are scheduled to start as late as 9 Pm in Florida in order to accommodate Indian television market. 

"That would be our aim," Grave said. "Clearly we have to discuss that with sponsors and broadcast partners, but realistically when you're playing India in the Caribbean you have to play either very late at night or very early in the day. If you're playing India, the passion of the India fans, they'll turn up whether you play at 11am or 9pm at night," added Grave.

The English cricket team are scheduled to travel the Caribbean from January to March 2019 and sources in Florida suggest they may also play some T20Is at Central Broward stadium. 

"England fans love coming to the Caribbean. Even though we have a big England tour of three Test matches, five ODIs and three T20Is, that would be a big decision to take matches out of the region, whereas the traveling India fan is [coming from the USA] and it's a growing market so it's less of a risk to our region to have the England games in the Caribbean and the India matches [in Florida]," the president added.