ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) — Tropical Storm Fiona has forced Cricket West Indies (CWI) to postpone Friday’s opening One-Day International (ODI) here between West Indies Women and New Zealand Women.

A tropical storm warning is in effect for Antigua and several other countries in the Leeward Islands, with the weather system expected to move into the area early tonight.

Director of cricket Jimmy Adams said player safety at this time was critical, adding that CWI was in discussions with its counterparts at Cricket New Zealand over the itinerary.

“We have put player safety at the forefront of this decision and will be working very closely with New Zealand Cricket to protect all the international matches via a revised schedule, if possible,” he said.

“We are very keen to get as much high-quality competitive cricket for our women’s team as possible, especially in this period leading into next year’s Women’s T20 World Cup.”

The second game, on Sunday, may also be affected, with CWI set to make a decision after assessing the impact of the storm.

The series, scheduled to run from September 16 to October 6, was set to feature three ODIs and five Twenty20 Internationals at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground.