International cricket in 2021

International cricket
in 2020–21 | in 2021–22

The 2021 international cricket season took place from May 2021 to September 2021.[1][2] 13 Tests, 56 One Day Internationals (ODIs), 45 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) were scheduled to be held in this season. The final of the 2019–2021 ICC World Test Championship took place in June at the Rose Bowl in Southampton, England, with New Zealand beating India by eight wickets.[3] The 2021–2023 ICC World Test Championship started in August 2021, with India's tour of England.[4]

Qualification for the 2023 ICC Women's T20 World Cup also started, with Scotland hosting the first regional qualifier group in August.[5] Also in women's international cricket, 18 Women's One Day International (WODI) and 23 Women's Twenty20 International (WT20I) matches were scheduled to be played, along with a women's Test match between England and India.[6] Additionally, a number of other T20I/WT20I matches were scheduled to be played in minor series involving associate nations.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continued into the 2021 international calendar. In November 2020, the planned Cricket World Cup Super League fixtures between the Netherlands and England were postponed.[7] The series was originally scheduled to be played in May 2021, but it was moved to May 2022 due to the pandemic.[8] In February 2021, round eight of the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 tournament, scheduled to take place in Papua New Guinea, was also postponed.[9] In June, the ninth round of the tournament, scheduled to take place in Spain, was postponed until 2022.[10] On 22 July 2021, Cricket Ireland confirmed that their home series against Zimbabwe would be rescheduled due to quarantine requirements needed for the visiting team.[11] Later the same day, the second ODI match between the West Indies and Australia was postponed following a positive COVID-19 case.[12] The Cricket World Cup Challenge League B tournament originally scheduled to be played in Jersey during September, was rescheduled to take place in Hong Kong in December 2021.[13]

In September 2021, the fifth Test match between England and India was cancelled a few hours before the scheduled start, due to COVID-19 cases in the Indian camp.[14] The match was rescheduled to take place in July 2022, ahead of India's white-ball tour of England.[15]

  1. ^ "Schedule for inaugural World Test Championship announced". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  2. ^ "Men's Future Tours Programme" (PDF). International Cricket Council. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  3. ^ "World Test Championship final: New Zealand beat India on sixth day to become world champions". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  4. ^ "England vs India to kick off the second World Test Championship". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  5. ^ "Qualification for ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2023 announced". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  6. ^ "A historic Test on the cards as England Women announce home summer schedule". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  7. ^ "England won't be going Dutch as Netherlands ODI tour is postponed". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  8. ^ "Netherlands vs England in ICC CWC Super League postponed". Royal Dutch Cricket Association. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  9. ^ "Three Men's Cricket World Cup League 2 series postponed". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  10. ^ "Cricket World Cup League Two matches postponed as Women's and Men's U19 events move to Spain". Cricket Scotland. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  11. ^ "Statement on Zimbabwe Men's tour". Cricket Ireland. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  12. ^ "2nd CG Insurance ODI between West Indies and Australia postponed". Cricket West Indies. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  13. ^ "Jersey to no longer host Cricket World Cup qualifier". ITV News. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  14. ^ "Official Statement: Fifth Test between England and India cancelled". England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  15. ^ "England-India agree to series decider at Edgbaston after fifth-Test postponement". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 22 October 2021.