[5] A revised tour schedule was proposed on 25 May 2020[6] and was confirmed on 2 June:[7] this saw the series go ahead in July, with the matches all played behind closed doors.

[19] The West Indies' tour was a major financial boost to English cricket during the pandemic, allowing the ECB to "keep the lights on", according to CEO Tom Harrison.

[22] In April 2020, Ashley Giles, the director of cricket, said that hosting the Test matches in June was looking "less and less likely",[23] but that "everything is on the table" with regards to England's schedule in 2020.

[29] The ECB were also looking at hosting the Test matches in bio-secure environments, with Old Trafford in Manchester and the Rose Bowl in Southampton being possible venues, due to their hotel facilities.

[30] On 13 May 2020, Johnny Grave, the chief executive of Cricket West Indies, said that he was hopeful that the tour would go ahead, but that players would be "very nervous" about travelling.

[32] Grave also confirmed that thirty players had been identified for preparation for the tour,[33] with the West Indies' Test captain Jason Holder saying that no-one would be forced to travel, with safety being the priority.

[37] The West Indies also resumed training, with small groups taking part in on-field sessions at the Kensington Oval in Barbados.

[43] England and the West Indies played intra-squad warm-up matches in Southampton and Manchester respectively prior to the Test series.

[46] Darren Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer and Keemo Paul decided against travelling to England, due to coronavirus fears,[47] and the length of time they could be away from their families.

[51] In June 2020, the International Cricket Council (ICC) made several interim changes to the Playing Conditions due to the pandemic.

[57] Cricket West Indies also named Sunil Ambris, Joshua Da Silva, Shannon Gabriel, Keon Harding, Kyle Mayers, Preston McSween, Marquino Mindley, Shayne Moseley, Anderson Phillip, Oshane Thomas and Jomel Warrican as reserve players for the Test series.

[77] However, the plan for this was changed after no play was possible on the first day of the fixture, allowing the West Indies to utilise all 25 players in their squad.