Windies to skip Lord's test

The West Indies will become the first team to tour England and not play a test match at Lord’s when they visit in 2012, according to BBC Sport.

The match that had been scheduled to be played at the “home of cricket” has been switched to Cardiff after the MCC were out bided, meaning Lord’s will miss out.

The Caribbean side will play games at Edgbaston, Trent Bridge and Cardiff – however with the schedule not released until later this year that could all change.

John Stephenson, the MCC’s head of cricket which own Lord’s revealed that the famous ground had missed out.

We were expecting to have a West Indies Test in May or June," John Stephenson, the MCC's head of cricket told BBC Sport.”That Test match has gone to Cardiff."

"It is disappointing for us and it is disappointing for the West Indies players. Our members are very upset." He added.

But Glamorgan chairman Paul Russell said he was unaware of Cardiff being awarded a test match for next summer, and said he would wait for the official confirmation from the ECB.

We have heard nothing at all either from the MCC or, more importantly, the ECB," he commented.

Lord’s has been hosting testing match cricket since 1884, and the West Indies community were up in arms over the famous ground potentially not hosting a test match.

"Lord's is renowned around the world as the Mecca of cricket," former West Indian Pace bowler Colin Croft said. "Whatever international team you play for you want to come to play at Lord's.”

"It is especially sad and disappointing for young cricketers like (West Indies batsman) Darren Bravo, who have not played cricket in England before.”
"It is disappointing, but it is all about finances these days."

The ECB were unavailable for comment.

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