ST JOHNS, Antigua (CMC) – West Indies will welcome Ireland to the Caribbean at the start of next year for four white-ball matches, which are expected to lay the platform for an active 2022 international calendar.

Sabina Park in Jamaica will host three One-Day Internationals (ODI) from January 8-14, and a one-off Twenty20 International on January 16, which is expected to serve as veteran left-hander Chris Gayle’s international farewell.

“We are looking forward to welcoming Ireland back to the West Indies in January. They last visited the Caribbean in 2020 and we had some exciting encounters, so we can anticipate a competitive series to start the new year,” said Cricket West Indies (CWI) chief executive Johnny Grave.

“This will be the start of a very busy year for us at CWI as we host several international teams as well as the ICC Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup.

“We want to thank the Government of Jamaica and our colleagues at the Jamaica Cricket Association, who have been working closely with us to make sure that the tour can take place safely and smoothly.”

The Ireland tour comes against the backdrop of a busy 2021 for West Indies, when the region hosted the likes of Sri Lanka, South Africa, Australia, and Pakistan in Tests and white-ball matches.

Last year, the onset of the novel coronavirus pandemic decimated CWI’s international home itinerary as Caribbean countries were forced into government-enforced lockdowns, while regional travel slowed to a crawl.

Naz Farrow, the CEO of title sponsors CG Insurance, said the pandemic had created unprecedented challenges, which all stakeholders had been forced to navigate.

“When we first began our partnership a few years ago, we would have never imagined that the teams, and the world, were about to face one of the biggest challenges of this generation,” he pointed out.

“Throughout the pandemic, we have been thrilled to see the players and teams work through the various obstacles to constantly deliver world-class cricket.

“Even now, as Ireland joins to play the ODIs in January, we are proud to continue to support CWI and this series, and look forward to these exciting matches in 2022.”

Ireland’s last tour of the Caribbean came in January 2020 when they lost the ODI series 3-0 and drew 1-1 in the T20 phase.

West Indies are currently in Pakistan for a six-match, white-ball series comprising three ODIs and three T20Is from December 13-22.