Dr Ralph Gonsalves gives proposed Windies tour of England his blessing

Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines Dr Ralph Gonsalves has given the proposed West Indies tour of England in July his blessing once Cricket West Indies can establish that the players representing the region will be safe.

Dr Gonsalves was speaking on Mason on Guest on the Voice of Barbados station on Tuesday night.

Following discussions that began at the start of the month between CWI and the England and Wales Cricket Board, it seems likely that the tour will go ahead. CWI CEO Johnny Grave alluded as much when he spoke with Sportsmax.TV recently.

“The ECB is confident that they can deliver a safe plan for bio-secure behind closed doors cricket that will meet the UK Government guidelines and will therefore likely secure their board's approval,” Grave said.

The CWI Board is expected to arrive at a decision on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Dr Gonsalves said that if CWI decides to greenlight the tour, they have his full support.

“Once the CWI is properly advised by the relevant epidemiologists and other persons dealing with the science in England and the Caribbean laying out the facts of the circumstances and the protocols to be applied; and once they are satisfied, and upon a proper interrogation of those protocols, we can send the young men representing the senior West Indies team, that they can go off in cricket battle, I have absolutely no problem with it at all,” Dr Gonsalves said.

Should the tour go ahead the West Indies will play three Tests against England in defence of the Wisden Trophy.