West Indies set to send A team to Zimbabwe

'The plan is to go to Canada which should be ideal preparation for the tournament in South Africa' © WICB Enlarge

"We have our regional [domestic] Twenty20 in the middle of August, and we are hoping to select our team for the World Championship in South Africa immediately after that tournament, around August 25," Bruce Aanensen, WICB's chief executive, told Cricinfo. "And once we select our team, the plan is to go to Canada which should be ideal preparation for the tournament in South Africa."

Though its preparation is still in the preliminary stages, Aanensen is "anxious that it takes place, as it's part of our build up". Inevitably, there are television contract rights to be finalised before the tour gets the go ahead.

The board is also in negotiations to send an A team to Zimbabwe in July for three four-day matches in Harare and two one-dayers. "We feel at this stage that the tour is on," Tony Deyal, the board's Corporate Secretary, told Cricinfo. "Our understanding is that Zimbabwe Cricket is doing everything possible to ensure the players' safety, so we will be going to the West Indies board to seek approval that the tour goes ahead."

Should it be confirmed, West Indies A will leave on July 1 and return on July 27. An announcement from the board is expected by the end of next week.

But under the agreement signed with the players' association (WIPA) both tours should be agreed before they are planned and announced. Dinanath Ramnarine, WIPA's CEO, told Cricinfo that neither trip had been discussed. With an ongoing dispute regarding the England tour with arbitrators at the moment, it seems possible that the next two tours could also end up going down that route.